Eleven Sports Ignores U.K. Blackout Rule With Barcelona Broadcast

Eleven Sports defied U.K. blackout rules by showing Saturday's Barcelona-Athletic Bilbao match. GETTY IMAGES

Eleven Sports defied an FA law that prohibits the broadcasting of live football on Saturday afternoons in the U.K. "by showing live coverage of Barcelona's match against Athletic Bilbao at the weekend," according to SOCCEREX. Current FA rules state that matches on Saturdays between 2:45pm and 5:15pm cannot be broadcast live in the U.K. to "protect match attendances in its domestic leagues." However, Eleven Sports decided to broadcast the match live despite its 3:15pm kickoff. The optional UEFA regulation is "only currently enforced" in England, Scotland and Montenegro, and has stood in the U.K. since the '60s. The broadcaster "previously voiced its opposition over the matter," releasing a statement on its website in August after being "forced to not broadcast the opening 15 minutes of Cristiano Ronaldo's debut for Juventus, which fell within the blackout timeframe" (SOCCEREX, 10/2).