Kieran Maguire: Sunderland chiefs thrilled amid £559m news – ‘fans will want this spent ASAP’
Sunderland chiefs will be delighted that the EFL is considering scrapping the Saturday 3.00pm TV blackout.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about how the Black Cats would fare in a new broadcasting paradigm.
The blackout, which has been in place since the 1960s, forbids broadcasters from airing football in the UK on Saturdays between 3.00pm and 5.15pm.
As relayed by BBC Sport on Wednesday (12 October), the EFL is open to abolishing the TV embargo as part of a new rights deal from 2024.
The current deal is worth £595million over its five-year lifespan, but it is claimed that many second-tier clubs feel it undervalues their competition.
Maguire suggests that the likes of Sunderland will be confident that the abolition of the blackout could help them expand their revenue.
“There are many big clubs in the EFL, of which Sunderland are definitely one,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“The major concern is what is going to happen to the League Cup which is estimated to contribute somewhere between one-third and one-half of the EFL’s present £119m-a-year deal.
“Any changes to the rights, therefore, are likely to be more flexible. If the 3.00pm blackout is relinquished, this will allow clubs to earn more money themselves, which will be extremely welcome in the boardroom.
“Fans will want to see that money spent as quickly as possible.“
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