The 50 year old rule that could soon be scrapped for the Premier League

Back in 1960, a rule was introduced known as the '3pm blackout', preventing networks from broadcasting games at the traditional Saturday kick off times.

However, broadcasters have long been calling for this to be axed, and they may soon be getting their wish.

According to reports, there have been some concerns behind the figures over the latest TV deal with officials believing the only way to make more money is to show more matches.

The latest agreement in England, for 2025 to 2929, is worth £6.7 billion, which is £1.675 billion per year. That is down from the figures that were paid out in the previous deal.

There has been a reported drop in advertising revenues, which is another reason why the top broadcasters like Sky Sports and TNT Sports are more keen than ever to scrap the 3pm blackout.

It has also been stated that another reason for wanting to televise games at 3pm is due to the rise in illegal streaming.

Currently, it has not been confirmed that scrapping the blackout is back on the agenda, but some sources have claimed that the issue will be raised when it comes to the next TV deal.

The blackout was originally introduced to protect attendance figures, and currently the agreement in place is that 50 per cent of matches in the Premier League and Championship must be scheduled for 3pm on a Saturday.

The EFL is in a different position this season, as a new deal was signed with Sky for more than 1,000 matches a year to be shown on Sky Sports.