How to Watch the Premier League
·5 min read
Premier League scheduling does not look like other leagues, and one rule explains it: matches played at 15.00 on a Saturday are not broadcast inside the UK. This blackout directly affects viewers abroad.
What the blackout rule is
Matches kicking off around 15.00 on Saturday afternoon are not shown on UK television. The purpose is to keep lower-league grounds full: if there is football on the screen at the same hour, smaller clubs lose their crowd. The rule applies only inside the UK.
The weekend schedule
| Day and time (TRT) | Slot | Shown in the UK |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 14.30 | Early kick-off | Yes |
| Saturday 17.00 | Blackout block | No |
| Saturday 19.30 | Evening match | Yes |
| Sunday 16.00 and 18.30 | Sunday matches | Yes |
| Monday 22.00 | Closing match | Yes |
What this means abroad
Because the blackout is a UK rule, the 15.00 matches are broadcast normally in Turkey and elsewhere in Europe. A viewer outside the UK can therefore see more matches than a supporter inside it.
Do not forget the time difference
- The UK is 2 hours behind Turkey in summer, 3 in winter
- A 15.00 kick-off on the schedule is 17.00 or 18.00 in Turkey
- The clocks change at the end of March and October; for two weeks the gap shifts by an hour
The same match may appear in the list with both English and Turkish commentary. The country suffix on the channel name (UK, TR) tells you which is which.
