Why is Man City vs Leeds shown live on TV during the UEFA 3pm blackout?

MANCHESTER CITY will continue their title charge against Sam Allardyce’s Leeds on Saturday.

The Premier League clash will break the long-standing 3pm blackout rule set by UEFA.

Manchester City won the reverse fixture at Elland RoadGETTY

It will be the first time the blackout has been broken since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ban was temporarily lifted as part of ‘Project Restart’ as fans were unable to watch their teams in the stadiums due to the outbreak of the virus.

What is the UEFA 3pm blackout?

The 3pm blackout set by UEFA is a rule that has been in place since the 1960s.

It probits matches in the Premier League, Football League and FA Cup to be shown live on TV in the UK between 2:45pm and 5:15pm.

The rule is in place to protect the attendances at all football clubs but specifically the lower league sides.

This is because teams in lower divisions rely heavily on gate receipts and do not want to deter people from attending in person.

Local and national radio stations are able to broadcast live commentary for all of the 3pm games in the UK.

Why is Man City vs Leeds shown live on TV during the 3pm blackout?

The Premier League fixture was initially scheduled for Sunday, May 7th, but has been pushed forward a day.

The reason the match was moved is because of the game’s proximity to Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday, May 9.

Man City vs Leeds could have taken the early kick-off slot at 12:30pm on Saturday, May 6 but the fixture would clash with King Charles III’s coronation.

A later kick-off time on the Saturday has been avoided due to a lack of police resourcing.

What did the Premier League say about breaking the 3pm blackout rule?

In a statement from the Premier League, they said: “With Manchester City visiting Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday 9 May, their home match with Leeds United has moved from Sunday 7 May to 15:00 BST on Saturday 6 May.

“The match will remain live on Sky Sports in the UK, subject to further consultation with relevant stakeholders regarding Article 48.

“The usual Saturday 12:30 BST UK live broadcast slot has been avoided so as not to clash with the King’s Coronation.

“A later kick-off is not possible due to police resourcing.”