Broadcast Sport: FA "exploring" end of 3pm blackout for women’s football

Story from Broadcast Sport:

The FA’s director of women’s football, Baroness Sue Campbell, has revealed that the organisation is considering women’s football being televised during the 3pm blackout.

Article 48 of the UEFA Statutes allows leagues to designate a broadcast blackout period, which in the UK is from 2.45pm until 5.15pm on Saturdays. However, in recent years this has seen some push back, with the EFL looking at whether a change could work.

Speaking to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Baroness Campbell explained that a 3pm televised game could bosst viewing figures as it wouldn’t clash with grassroots football and wouldn’t be too late for younger audiences to tune in.

She said: “We have great visibility on the television, we had great BBC coverage during the Euros. That consistent opportunity to view the women’s game is important.

“It still is a little bit random - you’re not sure what time or day you’re going to be able to turn on and see it, we need to get some consistency.

“We have been exploring Article 48, which is the whole business around 3pm on a Saturday which when it was put in place was for men’s football. We want to see, could the women have that slot on television?”

Baroness Campbell explained: “We need to recognise that we have a younger audience so sticking it on during the evening might not be the best time, particularly the evening before school the next day.”

She added: “When games are being shown, we need to look at grassroots football and when that is being played so we can maximise the number of families coming to games.

“At 6.45pm on a Sunday you have the school issue, then at 11.30am on a Saturday, that’s when grassroots teams play football. You’re destroying the viewership then. 10-“We need to look at a good day and time to maximise audiences, get bums on seats in stadiums and grow our fanbase. That’s how our sport grows.”

The highest level women’s league in the UK, the WSL, is shown by the BBC and Sky Sports after a joint broadcast deal was agreed in 2021.