Is Tottenham vs Burnley on TV? Sky Sports' new deal explained and why 3pm blackout was lifted

Is Tottenham vs Burnley on TV? Sky Sports' new deal explained and why 3pm blackout was lifted

Thomas Frank gets his first taste of Premier League action with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon, with newcomers Burnley ready to do battle in north London as the 2025/26 season gets underway

Europa League champions Tottenham Hotspur will kick off their Premier League campaign against Burnley (Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Scott Parker's Burnley are aiming for a positive start to life in the Premier League this weekend as they pay a visit to Tottenham Hotspur. With a newly-promoted side set to be his first domestic challenge in north London, Thomas Frank will hope Spurs can bounce straight back from their recent heartbreaking defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup shootout.

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Spurs had looked set to claim another piece of silverware on Wednesday night, leading 2-0 in the 85th minute. But the Champions League winners came back to level the game in added time and won the trophy 4-3 on penalties.

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Despite the loss, new boss Frank – who replaced Ange Postecoglou during the summer despite their Europa League triumph in May – was pleased with his side's performance. Speaking post-match, the 51-year-old said: "Very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans.

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"I think the players gave everything against one of the best teams in the world, maybe the best. I think for 75 to 80 minutes we were perfect, almost ­giving nothing away.

"It’s down to the smallest of margins, like the flip of a coin. I’d like to thank all the players who stepped up, were brave and took responsibility."

Meanwhile, Parker's Burnley have been busy preparing for life back in the Premier League, after being promoted from the Championship. Despite fighting Leeds United all the way – with both sides finishing on 100 points – Burnley had to settle for second place, and will be eager to get some points on the board before the season gets into full flow.

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The Clarets have made 13 signings so far this summer, including former Manchester City captain Kyle Walker, and hope that their new additions will be the difference makers in keeping them in the top flight for more than one season.

With the Premier League openers all kicking off this weekend, many fans will want to know where they can catch the action. But unfortunately, Spurs vs Burnley won't be available to watch on live TV in the UK.

Why is Tottenham vs Burnley not on TV in the UK?

Spurs and Burnley fans won't be able to tune in from their couch this weekend (Image: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

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Unfortunately for both sets of fans, the game in north London will not be shown on TV due to the age-old 3pm blackout rule. The law dictates that any football fixture between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on a Saturday will be prevented from airing live on TV in the UK.

Introduced in the 1960s for broadcast, this rule was made to protect the attendances of football matches and ensure that fans leave their homes to watch the games instead of staying indoors.

Fans who are against the rule will have to endure it until at least the 2028/29 season, as per the new TV deals agreed by the Premier League and EFL.

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The original rule dates back to the 18th century, and is found in the Factory Act 1850. This law restricted working hours on Saturdays for industrial workers, meaning that employers couldn't keep their staff on shift past 2pm.

This meant that workers needed to find something to fill their time on the weekend, which typically meant filling out the pubs or heading to a local match.

Many are in favour of scrapping the TV blackout these days, in order to allow fans to keep up to date with their clubs if they cannot attend the matches in person. However, others still believe it protects the lower leagues, as per the reason the broadcast arm of the law was created.

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Why was the 3pm blackout rule lifted recently?

League One matches were well-attended, despite being shown live on TV on the opening weekend (Image: Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Those who think Blackpool vs Stevenage and Doncaster vs Exeter being on TV was just a weird mirage earlier this month, think again. The longstanding blackout rule was temporarily lifted for the beginning of the EFL season, due to the staggered start of the new campaign.

League One and League Two both kicked off at the beginning of August, with the Championship beginning a week later on August 7 – and the Premier League on August 15.

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Under article 48 of UEFA's guidelines, the 3pm blackout ruling applies when 50 per cent of games in the top two divisions kick-off at 3pm on a Saturday.

Thanks to this clever loophole, Sky Sports were able to show all of the 3pm kick offs in the lower leagues, due to the two top leagues – the Premier League and Championship – not kicking off on the same day.

But this weekend, the blackout is back in full force, meaning that Spurs and Burnley fans will need to be at the game.

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Which Premier League games are on TV?

There will be plenty of action over the weekend on Sky Sports (Image: Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images)

Don't worry though; anybody who is just looking for their regular Premier League TV fix over the weekend will have plenty to choose from, thanks to Sky Sports new deal with the top flight.

A new four-year deal was agreed between the broadcaster and the league to show a record minimum of 215 Premier League matches from this campaign onwards – an increase from 128 on previous years.

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As part of the new rights deal, Sky Sports will show more Premier League action than any other broadcaster with at least four matches per week.

Midweek matches as well as Friday and Monday night football will all be covered under this new agreement, giving fans the chance to tune into even more games than ever before.

Sky Group CEO Dana Strong shared her excitement at the news when it was announced, adding: "This is a fantastic result for Sky customers, who will see a significant increase in the number of matches from the most iconic league in the world. Sky is the undisputed home for sport fans in the UK."

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So, these are the remaining games available to watch on TV in the UK over the opening weekend as the new Premier League season gets underway:

Aston Villa vs Newcastle - August 16, 12:30pm kick-off (TNT Sports)

Wolves vs Manchester City - August 16, 5:30pm kick-off

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace - August 17, 2pm kick-off

Nottingham Forest vs Brentford - August 17, 2pm kick-off

Manchester United vs Arsenal - August 17, 4:30pm kick-off

Leeds United vs Everton - August 18, 8pm kick-off

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