DAZN want to buy the rights to show EFL games from Sky Sports and put an end to the 3pm blackout which has been in place since the 1960s.
Sky Sports currently show 138 out of 1671 EFL games a season and pay £119 million a year for the TV rights, but DAZN are ready to step in and take over.
According to The Mirror, sources close to the DAZN bid claim the blackout rule is ‘medieval’ and ‘anachronistic’ which simply leads football fans to illegal streaming services.
DAZN claim to be the largest sports broadcaster in Europe and announced plans in 2020 to expand worldwide. The company placed an emphasis on global broadcast rights such as boxing and original content.
RELATED: Premier League Blackout Rule Explained: Why Are Saturday 3pm Games Unavailable?
The EFL is reportedly seeking around £200m-a-year to buy the TV rights which would forever change how football is viewed by consumers in the United Kingdom.
The original argument for the blackout stems from the idea that fans of lower division teams would watch the game on TV rather than attending their local football matches.
Many believe the blackout rule is vital in preserving the foundations of the sport and claim without the financial income from matchgoers, teams would be unable to survive.
Just 20 League One and ten League Two fixtures were broadcast on Sky Sports last season. A total of 26 clubs did not appear on television throughout the entire campaign, something DAZN vow to change.
Sky Sports, BT Sport and Viaplay are all understood to have launched bids to buy the rights, however DAZN’s is expected to be the frontrunner.
The Premier League’s TV rights are back up for sale in a year for the 2025-2028 period, likely to be continued with Sky.
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