Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agree on divisive rule with Arsenal and Liverpool affected
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Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agree that there are “points for and against” English football’s 3pm blackout rule, which will affect Arsenal and Liverpool this weekend. The rule, which was introduced back in the 1960s, prohibits any fixtures taking place between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday from being broadcast live on UK television. It was introduced when the TV first became a common household appliance, with clubs fearing that airing the fixtures would reduce stadium attendances.
It's highly divisive today given the vastly different way in which the sport is consumed now, as well as football's increased popularity. Many fans have welcomed the idea of the blackout being scrapped, wanting to see every game that their team plays while taking issue with the fact that all fixtures are made available to overseas viewers.
Arsenal’s visit to Wolves gets underway at 3pm this Saturday and will therefore not be broadcast live in the UK, while Liverpool’s clash with Ipswich Town will not be aired for the same reason. The reality that football fans cannot tune in to watch the two Premier League title contenders only draws further attention to the issue.
Match of the Day presenter Lineker and pundit Shearer tackled the controversial topic on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, after a listener asked whether it’s time to end the 3pm blackout on TV. They also asked if all Premier League matches should be moved away from the 3pm slot, preserving it solely in the case of lower league games.
