Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made 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 and (b) pirating of Premier League matches.

Article 48 of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Statutes, which facilitates the “3pm blackout” is voluntarily adopted by the Football Association (the FA) with the aim of protecting ticket sales for lower leagues in the football pyramid.

As the Minister stated on the floor of the House of Commons during Second Reading of the Sporting Events Bill on 3 September, this is “an issue for the Football Association, but we support the current situation, as we recognise the importance of this for the lower leagues'".