This weekend’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid is BANNED from UK screens due to a long-standing and arguably outdated British law.
Each year, El Clasico is one of the most watched football matches across the globe but unfortunately for fans living in the United Kingdom – they’ll have to settle for the post-game highlights.
England fans will be especially keen to see Jude Bellingham suit up for his first taste of the fixture, however due to the UK’s 3pm TV blackout rule it won’t be available.
A law that has been in place since the 1960s, the blackout rule states that no football match can be broadcast live between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday.
The law wants to protect attendances at stadiums and involvement in grassroots football in the UK, to preserve the foundations of the sport.
Jude Bellingham did not train with the squad two days ahead of El Clasico. He is expected to rejoin the group on Friday.
— Lucas Navarrete (@LucasNavarreteM) October 26, 2023
Originally pitched to the Football League by Burnley chairman Bob Lord, he believed the financial income of lower league football would significantly drop and many teams would be unable to survive.
Lord argued that if Manchester United played Liverpool at 3pm on a Saturday, supporters of lower division teams would choose to watch that on TV rather than attending a local match.
Many European countries have chosen not to adopt the rule, with leagues such as Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga holding the belief that the blackout doesn’t affect lower leagues.
LaLiga’s UK and Ireland MD Keegan Pierce said: “We’re disappointed that British fans cannot watch El Clasico this weekend due to the UK’s self-imposed Saturday 3pm rule.
“While we fully support measures to promote attendance, we believe the blackout should be limited to the televising of domestic football, not overseas competitions.”
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