Sky Sports executives have indicated that widespread illegal streaming could hasten the demise of football's traditional Saturday afternoon television blackout, which currently prevents UK broadcasters from showing matches at 3pm.
The restriction, designed to protect stadium attendance and grassroots football, remains in place until at least 2029 under current broadcasting.
However, Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht has acknowledged that unauthorised streaming devices, particularly modified Fire Sticks, are creating mounting pressure to reconsider this long-standing policy.
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These devices enable viewers to access international broadcasts of Premier League matches during the blackout period, undermining the restriction's effectiveness and costing the football industry billions annually through piracy.
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|Sky Sports blame Fire Sticks for ruining the blackout
Licht expressed serious concerns about the normalisation of piracy despite its connections to organised crime, stating: "There's clearly a direction of travel, or lots of conversation about Saturday 3pm."
He warned: "Piracy is a very serious issue, there's a real concern that despite the illegality and the links to organised crime that it is being normalised."
"It's fair to say that Saturday 3pm has been a point for piracy coming into this market from various places," Licht said.
Research from May showed that unauthorised streaming through modified devices has surged dramatically, resulting in billions of pounds in losses for football authorities and broadcasters across Europe.
The illegal streaming issue has prompted several arrests, including one individual in Halifax earlier this year, though this has done little to discourage widespread use of unauthorised services.
Under the new broadcasting cycle beginning this season, Sky Sports will show 215 Premier League fixtures whilst TNT Sport has secured rights to 52 matches.
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GETTY | Games have been blocked to support grassroots football throughout the UK
This arrangement ensures all non-3pm fixtures are available through legitimate UK broadcasters, marking the beginning of a fresh four-year agreement.
Despite these comprehensive coverage plans, the blackout remains firmly in place for the duration of this cycle, though industry figures increasingly question its sustainability given the proliferation of illegal alternatives.
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The Sky Sports executive pointed to France as a cautionary example, where regulatory body Arcon found that audio-visual piracy had cost the sports sector £200million.
"That has been very value-destructive. I don't think anyone wants to see that happen in this market," Licht warned.
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Former footballer Gary Neville suggested the blackout concept has become antiquated, noting: "When you go to different parts of the world, obviously you can watch every game of football in the Premier League, and it's getting to that point now, where fans want to watch every game."