Premier League chiefs have opted to lift a little-known broadcasting rule ahead of the next domestic campaign.
In the UK, there are a number of restrictions in place which are designed to protect matchday attendances across the English soccer pyramid.
Among those includes a restriction over broadcasting youth team matches – with regulations stating that they cannot be shown at the same time as first-team games.
However, according to CityAM, that blackout it set to be lifted ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
The outlet claim that Under-21 matches can now be live streamed online – even if they clash with fixtures being shown on the likes of Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
They claimed: ‘Premier League clubs have been given permission to live-stream all of their U21 matches from next season in a change from the existing regulations.’
Premier League chiefs have opted to lift a little-known broadcasting rule ahead of next season
Under-21 matches can now be live streamed – even if they clash with first-team fixtures
‘While club websites are expected to take the lead in streaming matches next season, the rights could be taken to market in subsequent years if there is sufficient demand.’
This could prove most beneficial to the likes of Manchester United. Fans have regularly complained that the club’s channel do not show enough youth games.
Meanwhile, Mail Sport revealed back in December that the 3pm blackout could be scrapped before the end of the decade – thanks largely to a slowing in precious TV revenues.
Dating back to a rule introduced in 1960, clubs in the UK cannot broadcast live football during the traditional Saturday afternoon slot.
That situation, however, may come to an end when the 2029-30 season kicks off with concerns raised throughout the Premier League over the figures behind the latest TV deal and a growing belief that the only way to make more money will be to show more matches.
The latest domestic agreement, for the 2025 to the 2029 cycle, was worth around £6.7bn. That represented an annual figure of £1.675bn, less than the £1.713bn raked in when a deal was struck in 2015 for the 2016 to 2019 seasons.
From next season, every Premier League match that does not kick-off at 3pm will be televised, while the EFL’s new deal which came in this season, more than 1,000 matches a year will be shown on Sky Sports.
Some execs across the EFL have seen a fall in the numbers of fans showing up to midweek winter matches that have been screened, especially during the recent cold snap. A subsequent reduction in season ticket sales could provide weight to the argument that the blackout should remain.
