Unraveling the Absence of Saturday's 12.30pm Kick-off
TNT Sports Holds the Reins, Explaining the Blank Spot in Gameweek 27's Schedule and a Glimpse into the Future of Premier League Broadcasting
For the second consecutive weekend, the upcoming round of Premier League fixtures is set to commence no earlier than 3 pm on Saturday. Notably, this scheduling trend deviates from the norm, as there will be no lunchtime fixture in Gameweek 27. The absence of a 12.30 pm kick-off this Saturday is attributed to TNT Sports holding the rights to the slot for Saturday fixtures in the Premier League. The broadcaster has the privilege of televising 52 live games throughout the season, encompassing both lunchtime and midweek evening fixtures. However, for the upcoming matches, TNT has opted not to utilize any of their allocated games, resulting in the lack of a 12.30 pm match.
It is worth mentioning that in early December, the Premier League sealed a groundbreaking £6.7 billion ($8.5 billion) UK TV rights deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports. This lucrative agreement, slated to take effect from the 2025/26 season and extend over four years, allows for the broadcast of up to 270 live matches annually. Despite the absence of a lunchtime fixture, Gameweek 27 promises an exciting lineup with seven fixtures scheduled for Saturday, featuring notable clashes such as
Nottingham Forestversus Liverpool, Brentford against Chelsea, Newcastle United versus Wolves, and Luton Town against Aston Villa.
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