Premier League schedule explained as football fans fume about TV selections - The Mirror

• Sport
• Football
• Premier League

Need to know

Fans have voiced some discontent over the scheduling of Premier League football on TV this weekend, with no early Saturday kick-off and some perhaps less desirable fixtures at prime times

Everything you need to know as fans question the scheduling of Premier League football on TV this weekend

• Absence of 12:30pm kick-off: The lack of a Saturday lunchtime game was primarily down to a heavy midweek schedule for nine English clubs in Europe. Arsenal's clash with Wolves was selected for TV coverage by TNT Sports, but the Gunners played on Wednesday against Club Brugge and so their match was scheduled for an 8pm start.

• Burnley vs Fulham selection: The decision to broadcast Fulham vs Burnley in the Saturday evening slot was likely driven by the contractual obligation that every club must be televised a minimum number of times per season. Broadcasters like Sky Sports must strategically utilise these standalone slots to fulfill quotas for teams outside the top six.

• European displacements: The heavy congestion on Sunday is a direct consequence of Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace also playing in European competitions on Thursday night. League regulations mandate a strict recovery period, automatically forcing their respective fixtures against West Ham, Tottenham and Manchester City to be pushed back to Sunday.

• Tyne-Wear Derby timing: Although the Sunderland vs Newcastle United clash is a headline attraction, high-risk derbies are almost invariably restricted to early kick-off times by local police to ensure public safety. This operational necessity prevents the game from being scheduled in the more lucrative late afternoon primetime slot, locking it into the 2pm window instead.

• Sunday 2pm congestion: The simultaneous broadcast of four matches at 2pm occurred because the broadcast-selected derby clashed with the three games that were mandatorily moved due to Europe. Under the current domestic TV deal, all matches displaced to this time slot are broadcast live, creating a logjam of televised content rather than a spread-out schedule.

• Brentford vs Leeds: The selection of Brentford vs Leeds United for the premium 4:30pm slot also serves to manage the broadcast caps placed on the league’s highest-profile teams. With other big clubs already playing in the congested 2pm slot, this fixture allows the broadcaster to showcase a competitive match without exceeding the strict appearance limits for the title contenders.

• Maximum quota limits: Beyond minimums, broadcasters must adhere to maximum limits on how often specific top-tier clubs can be shown in headline slots to ensure equitable coverage. This rule forces schedulers to "save" appearances for the likes of Arsenal or Manchester City for decisive weeks, necessitating the selection of other fixtures for the main Sunday showpiece.

• Contractual distribution: The entire schedule reflects the overarching principle that exposure must be distributed across the league, ensuring that every member club receives its share of airtime. This framework prevents the schedule from being entirely dominated by a few teams and explains why commercially smaller fixtures are occasionally elevated to feature status.

• READ MORE AHEAD OF SUNDAY'S FOOTBALL: Oliver Glasner issues Crystal Palace demand ahead of crunch Man City showdown