The 'silly' reason why Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United is not on TV tonight revealed

Newcastle United supporters are puzzled as to why their clash against Crystal Palace will not be aired on TV tonight.

Fans pay through the roof to legitimately watch the Premier League in the UK. Other countries can watch more English football as a meagre cost, with domestic fans unable to due to broadcasting restrictions.

The 3pm “blackout rule” has been in place since the 1960s - prohibiting TV companies from showing football between 2.15pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays. This was introduced to protect attendances and, in turn, clubs from losing revenue.

Critics in recent years have urged authorities to ditch the rule - believing the current legislation to be outdated. Top-flight chiefs did temporarily lift the blackout during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow broadcasters to cover every Premier League fixture.

Many have also suggested that abolishing the system will help combat piracy and illegal streaming - a key focus for the Premier League. As it stands, there are no signs for the blackout to be ditched ahead of the 2025-28 broadcasting deal.

Sky Sports agreed a bumper five-year deal with the EFL earlier this month to show over 1,000 games per season amid reports claiming the lower leagues could ditch the blackout rules. Streaming service DAZN were rumoured to be considering a lucrative approach to hijack EFL rights.

For Newcastle fans, the curfew is also why their trip to Palace will not be shown on domestic TV - despite taking place on a Wednesday. The fixture was originally scheduled for a 3pm kick-off on March 16 but was postponed due to the Magpies’ FA Cup tie with Manchester City.

That means neither Sky Sports or TNT Sports picked the game for selection and UK viewers must tune in elsewhere. BBC Radio Newcastle will provide full match commentary for those listening in the North East.