**English EFL and Premier League Fixtures See Partial Lifting of 3pm TV Blackout**
This coming Saturday promises a feast of football for fans across the UK, as an unprecedented television line-up will broadcast every match from the concluding day of the Football League season. In a rare move, the regulatory 3pm blackout—traditionally preventing live televised football during Saturday afternoons—will be partially lifted for EFL games, though the ban remains for the Premier League fixtures taking place at the same time.
Football supporters are in for a treat, with Sky Sports set to air all 36 matches spanning the Championship, League One, and League Two. This all-encompassing coverage results from Sky’s groundbreaking broadcasting deal, forged last year, which grants fans more access than ever before to the climactic moments of the Football League campaign. The action commences in the Championship with a set of matches kicking off at 12.30pm, including Swansea City’s home game against Oxford United and Cardiff City’s trip to Norwich City.
Attention then shifts to League One and League Two, with Wrexham’s away match at Lincoln City and Newport County’s meeting with Tranmere Rovers among the highlights. Kick-off for these games is scheduled for 3pm, and viewers can tune in to their match of choice through the Sky Sports+ digital service, reflecting an increasing trend towards customisable viewing experiences in sports broadcasting.
It’s worth noting, however, that the partial lifting of the 3pm blackout applies only to EFL fixtures. The top tier of English football, the Premier League, remains under blackout restrictions during the 3pm window. As a result, those eager to watch Everton face Ipswich Town or Leicester City take on Southampton will not be able to do so live at the usual timeslot. Despite this, Premier League fans will be able to catch Aston Villa’s clash with Fulham as the early televised kick-off at 12.30pm on TNT Sports, as well as Arsenal hosting Bournemouth later in the day on Sky Sports at 5.30pm.
The EFL’s final day drama extends beyond blanket coverage—two crucial Championship matches have been singled out for extended broadcast coverage. Coventry City’s playoff-hopefuls take on Middlesbrough, a fixture brimming with implications for promotion chasers, with Sky Sports Main Event providing the platform for this key encounter. Meanwhile, speculation surrounds who will claim the remaining playoff spots, as Bristol City (home against Preston North End), Millwall (away at title contenders Burnley), and Blackburn Rovers (heading to Sheffield United) remain firmly in the hunt.
At the lower end of the table, the relegation dogfight promises to capture just as much attention. Luton Town’s struggle to extend their stay in the division hinges on their pivotal match with West Brom, to be shown live on Sky Sports Football. Ominously, Plymouth Argyle are effectively relegated due to goal difference, joining Cardiff in departure. Should Hull City manage a positive result versus already-safe Portsmouth, they could heap further pressure on Luton’s survival ambitions. Preston, Derby County, and Stoke City, locked together in competition at Pride Park, are all desperate to avoid the dreaded drop.
As events unfold at 3pm, Sky Sports Football will switch focus to Huddersfield Town’s battle against Leyton Orient. Huddersfield, already resigned to another League One campaign, nonetheless face Orient, who require victory to secure a playoff position and fend off rivals, including Reading, hungry for last-gasp qualification.
In League One, the tension has already eased somewhat, with the major issues of promotion and relegation settled—Carlisle United and Morecambe confirm their drop, while the pursuit of silverware and the remaining League Two promotion places remains up for grabs. Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale continue their duel for the fourth division crown, with Bradford City, Walsall, and Notts County fighting it out for the final automatic promotion place. The playoff picture remains equally crowded, with AFC Wimbledon, Salford City, Grimsby Town, Chesterfield, and Colchester United all hoping to extend their seasons.
Sky’s extensive coverage this weekend marks a notable shift in the way supporters can engage with football’s concluding drama. By partially lifting the blackout, fans are afforded unprecedented access to the do-or-die moments that define promotion, playoff, and relegation destinies across the football pyramid.
This approach to broadcasting—championing widespread accessibility—could re-ignite debate over the future of the 3pm blackout and its place in the modern football landscape. With fans increasingly demanding more flexible and comprehensive coverage, broadcasters and governing bodies alike may face renewed calls for reform in upcoming seasons.
Meanwhile, for the millions of supporters across the country, the weekend’s exceptional fixture list offers a unique opportunity: a front-row seat as history unfolds in the beautiful game’s end-of-season crescendo.