Premier League Poised to Scrap Traditional Boxing Day Schedule in Major Fixture Shake-Up
Paraphrased Version:
Calendar congestion has left the Premier League with little choice.
This year’s Boxing Day fixtures are set for a major shake-up, as the league prepares to alter its long-standing festive schedule.
With the Christmas period fast approaching, reports suggest that the traditional full set of Boxing Day matches will be scrapped due to mounting scheduling pressures caused by UEFA’s expanded competitions and the FA Cup’s new weekend-only format.
According to the Daily Mail, only one Premier League fixture is expected to be played on Boxing Day this year.
The league is contractually required to provide 33 weekends of matches for broadcast partners Sky Sports and TNT Sports, and maintaining that commitment has heavily influenced the decision.
Since Boxing Day falls on a Friday, it’s expected to be treated like any standard Friday matchday, meaning just one game will be televised, with the rest of the fixtures moved to Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to satisfy broadcasting agreements.
Interestingly, when Boxing Day last fell on a Friday in 2014, a full round of fixtures still went ahead. However, this time the circumstances appear different.
Although no final decision has been confirmed, insiders believe the proposed change is unlikely to be reversed. The Premier League has yet to decide which match will be chosen for broadcast, and the official TV schedule for late December and January is still pending.
Meanwhile, the EFL will maintain a full slate of Boxing Day matches across the Championship, League One, and League Two.
Matchweek 18 Premier League Fixtures:
Arsenal vs Brighton
Brentford vs Bournemouth
Burnley vs Everton
Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham
Liverpool vs Wolves
Manchester United vs Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City
Sunderland vs Leeds
West Ham vs Fulham
Potential televised highlights could include Manchester United vs Newcastle, Arsenal vs Brighton, Chelsea vs Aston Villa, and Liverpool vs Wolves.
