Scottish Premiership makes first UK move to remove Saturday 3pm broadcast blackout

The Scottish Professional Football League has initiated efforts to end the Saturday 3pm broadcast blackout by inviting bids to televise every match starting in 2029. A recently issued tender gives broadcasters the option to acquire live rights for all fixtures, challenging restrictions under Article 48 of UEFA's statutes that currently prohibit domestic broadcasts between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays.

The SPFL's move represents the first step in an expected coordinated effort by UK domestic leagues, including the Premier League and EFL, to boost revenues by selling more televised matches. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters confirmed that reviewing Article 48 remains an active discussion ahead of upcoming domestic rights processes.