Manchester City v Leeds set for 3pm Saturday TV slot despite ‘blackout’ rule

Manchester City’s Premier League match against Leeds is set to be broadcast on television in the UK despite being moved to 3pm on a Saturday.

The fixture was scheduled for Sunday 7 May but has been brought forward by a day because of City’s Champions League semi-final trip to Real Madrid the following Tuesday. The game will be shown on Sky Sports as planned despite it now being in the Saturday afternoon “blackout” period.

This rule blocks the broadcast of games at any level in England between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on a Saturday in order to protect match attendances and participation at lower levels in the football pyramid. On that particular Saturday, however, there are no other 3pm matches set to be played in the Championship or Leagues One and Two or the National League or its regional divisions, which all have games scheduled over the rest of the bank holiday weekend.

“The match will remain live on Sky Sports in the UK, subject to further consultation with relevant stakeholders,” said a Premier League statement. It added that a lunchtime broadcast slot has been avoided so as not to clash with the King’s coronation while an evening kick-off is not possible because of a lack of police resourcing.

Pep Guardiola’s City, who face Sheffield United in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday, remain in contention to complete the treble. They are five points behind Arsenal with two matches in hand, and host Mikel Arteta’s side on Wednesday.

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City’s match at Brighton has also been rescheduled for Wednesday 24 May, before the final round of Premier League fixtures on Sunday 28 May.