Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the rule that prohibits UK television broadcasters from showing live Premier League matches on Saturdays between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on (a) attendance of non premier league football games, (b) pirating of Premier League matches and (c) the range of football matches broadcast.

The Government does not have a role in the application of the broadcast blackout for football matches played at 3pm in England. This rule arises from Article 48 of the Union of European Football Associations’ (UEFA) statutes.