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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Sam Meade

Premier League games all set to be televised as Saturday 3pm blackout lifted for season

The Premier League Saturday 3pm blackout will be lifted ahead of the new season following productive talks.

It means all of the top flight games will be available to viewers until fans begin returning to stadiums.

Confirmation from the FA will allow the Premier League to change its stance and ensures matches are available from the season opening on September 12.

Initially the Premier League had looked to honour contracts it had with Sky and BT meaning 40 per cent of matches would not be televised.

However there were fears that, with fans unable to attend games, that viewers would attempt to use illegal streams, reports The Times.

Premier League matches at 3pm will be televised (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The greatest obstacle was the Saturday 3pm blackout but with the FA's willingness to lift it a solution can now be reached.

Back in April the blackout was first lifted when the coronavirus pandemic meant matches had to be played behind closed doors.

It was initially imposed back in the 1980s to ensure fans continued to go to stadiums.

Televising games will allow clubs to give season ticket holders access codes to watch the matches via subscription platforms as they did with Project Restart.

Leeds will take on Liverpool on the opening weekend (STRINGER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Premier League club chairmen are due to meet on Thursday with a decision on televising all the matches high on the agenda.

Matches in the Championship, Leagues One and Two will look to follow a similar plan that allows fans to watch matches on various platforms.

Broadcasters are already putting things in place to adapt but will not be asked to make games free-to-air as they did when the season restart in June.

Liverpool vs Leeds and Tottenham vs Everton are among the blockbuster clashes taking place on the opening weekend.

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