Rejected petition Abolish the saturday football 3pm TV blackout rule

Abolish the 3pm blackout rule to give fans the freedom to watch matches live. Created in an age which couldn't possibly forsee the rise of live streaming. This outdated rule once created to protect the income of football clubs, does more to harm the sport than protect it.

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Abolish the 3pm blackout rule and allow streaming services to show football matches starting between 14:45 and 17:15 on their respective platforms. By preventing loyal fans from being able to watch their teams live, this rule empowers criminal elements online as desperate fans inevitably turn towards virus and scam laden, digitally unsafe and illegal streaming websites. Additionally, with a large number of fans unable to attend games due to limited capacity, additional revenue is lost to clubs.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.

Decisions about when to hold and broadcast football matches, and how much to charge for them, are a matter for the FA, the Premier League and the Football League, and broadcasters, not the Government or House of Commons.

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 15 February 2025
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