FA Defies TV Blackout Rules to Broadcast Man City vs. Sheffield United Match: Here's Why

The FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Sheffield United necessitated the FA's violation of their own TV blackout regulations.

The match between Man City and Sheff United commenced at 4:45 pm, which overlapped with the 2:45 pm - 5:15 pm blackout period.

To comply with the TV blackout guidelines, the game's starting time was intended to be at 5:30 pm.

Nonetheless, the FA had to contravene their blackout rules due to advice from the police.

Local police told them the fixture on Saturday could not kick-off any later than 4:45pm on safety grounds.

A spokesperson for the FA said: "The kick-off times for our fixtures are scheduled in collaboration with the clubs, local authorities, police, and broadcasters.

"We were informed by the police and local safety advisory group that 16.45 was the latest time possible for this tie."

This incident may not be an isolated case for Man City since they are set to feature in another televised match during the TV blackout period. Their Premier League clash against Leeds United on Saturday, May 6, is scheduled to commence at 3 pm.

Sky Sports has made a decision to avoid any clash with the televised coverage of King Charles III's coronation and, as a result, moved the Man City vs. Leeds match back from the original 3 pm kick-off time.

The club's participation in the Champions League also played a role in this scheduling decision. Pep Guardiola's team is set to face Real Madrid in the semi-finals after their 4-1 aggregate triumph over Bayern Munich.