What changed
Scottish football has opened its next broadcast tender, starting in the 2029-30 season, with enough flexibility for broadcasters to bid for every Premiership match, including Saturday games at 3pm.
That could put the UK’s Saturday blackout on the negotiating table. It currently blocks live coverage from 2:45pm to 5:15pm, but any deal would need approval from eight of Scotland’s 12 Premiership clubs.
Why it matters
The numbers explain why this matters. Scotland’s top flight has 228 matches, yet the current deal shows only 36% live: up to 60 on Sky Sports and 22 on Premier Sports. The new tender could let clubs test whether a much larger slice of those games has commercial value.
The blackout exists to protect attendances, particularly lower down the pyramid. But it also stops smaller clubs from putting their own Saturday matches online. Ending it would give broadcasters and clubs a chance to turn those unavailable games into live inventory.
The informed speculation is that Scotland could become the first serious test of a wider UK shift. The tender does not require a broadcaster to impose UEFA’s Article 48, the rule that allows leagues to ban live matches at set times. Still, no broadcaster has yet committed to showing every game, and the clubs may reject any proposal that includes Saturday 3pm coverage.
Even if Scotland votes yes, English, Welsh and Northern Irish football would not automatically follow. Their rights deals also end after the 2028-29 season, creating an opportunity for a broader agreement, but not guaranteeing one.
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