Why there is only one Premier League game on Boxing Day
- Published
The Premier League has confirmed that there will only be one match taking place on Boxing Day in the 2025-26 season.
Boxing Day is traditionally one of the most-anticipated dates in the football calendar, but only Manchester United's home game against Newcastle United will take place on 26 December.
The league said: "There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.
"This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.
"With fewer weekends to work with, the League is bound by how the calendar falls. The league can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday."
All clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two are scheduled to play on Boxing Day.
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Why did it take so long to announce?
Festive fixture shake-up
December's full fixture schedule was released 16 days later than originally planned, with the Premier League blaming "complexities" around the calendar.
The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) criticised the delay, calling for "greater transparency around the TV selection process".
FSA Premier League network manager Thomas Concannon said: "With a record number of games now being televised, frustration with constant fixture changes and delays to TV selections is at an all time high, particularly in an era when travel to games is increasingly expensive.
"The league, broadcasters, clubs, the police and local authorities have to do much better for matchgoing supporters," he added.
Round 18 fixtures:
All times listed in GMT
Friday, 26 December
Manchester United v Newcastle United (20:00)
Saturday, 27 December
Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30)
Arsenal v Brighton (15:00)
Brentford v Bournemouth (15:00)
Burnley v Everton (15:00)
Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers (15:00)
West Ham United v Fulham (15:00)
Chelsea v Aston Villa (17:30)
Sunday, 28 December
Sunderland v Leeds United (14:00)
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur (16:30)
Sky Sports and TNT are the current TV rights holders for UK viewers.
Amazon had broadcast Boxing Day fixtures in the UK between 2019 and 2024, but lost its rights in the most recent tender process.
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