Sunderland would be one of the main beneficiaries if the EFL were to scrap Saturday’s 3pm blackout, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
The Lowdown: EFL’s AGM
According to a report by iNews, the Saturday 3pm blackout was set to be at the top of the agenda for the EFL’s recent AGM.
It is reported that clubs will be consulted about how to expand streaming services in conjunction with the abolition of the long-standing Saturday afternoon blackout. This would provide the clubs outside of the Premier League with the opportunity to create a sizeable new source of income.
The Latest: Maguire’s claim
Maguire believes that scrapping the blackout could be extremely lucrative for Sunderland given their huge support (average attendance just under 31,000 last season), which is comparable to many teams in the Premier League.
Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “For a club such as Sunderland that has a huge following and sells out every away match, this could be beneficial.
“Those fans who want to go to matches will continue to do so, while this is perfect for the remaining elements of the fanbase would be able to buy some form of iFollow pass.
“Significant elements of that money go to the club itself and therefore I think they would be financial beneficiaries. It would certainly be better for a big club like Sunderland than it would be for a smaller side who don’t sell out.
“I think the EFL deserve some credit for the way they have distributed money through the iFollow scheme to date.”
The Verdict: Could be huge
According to Football Insider, Sunderland earned an impressive £5.4m in broadcast income for the 2020/21 season, the latest on record. Following the Black Cats’ promotion to the Championship, this figure is expected to soar.
Therefore, if the EFL do end up abolishing the blackout, Sunderland could indeed be in for a big financial boost going by Maguire's comments, which could help them once again compete for promotion, this time to the Premier League.
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