Individuals who greatly appreciate and depend on a consistent schedule might encounter some unexpected changes regarding the Premier League matches scheduled for this weekend.
However, the five games planned for this Sunday will deviate from this customary arrangement, with only the Chelsea vs. Arsenal game retaining its familiar 4:30 p.m. start time. The other matches are set to begin at peculiar hours, and there won’t be a Saturday lunchtime game either.
Reasons behind the Noon and 2:05 p.m. Premier League Game Start Times on Sunday
On Sunday, Crystal Palace will face off against Manchester United as the opening act at noon. Following that, Aston Villa will battle Wolves, Nottingham Forest will take on Brighton, and West Ham will go head-to-head with Liverpool, all with scheduled start times of 2:05 p.m.
What factors contributed to these unconventional kick-off times being selected for these matches?
The main reason is a combination of the Premier League’s attempts to accommodate a hectic match schedule, especially for teams engaged in European competitions, and broadcasters aiming to draw in a larger audience.
The Premier League strives to guarantee that clubs have a minimum of 60 hours between matches across all competitions.
Consequently, even though TNT Sports initially selected Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United for a Saturday lunchtime kick-off, the game couldn’t be scheduled in that time slot because of Palace’s participation in the Conference League on Thursday night.
Therefore, TNT opted to forgo their usual Saturday lunchtime broadcast and instead agreed to televise the game at noon on Sunday.
The three games scheduled for a 2:05 p.m. start time are a direct result of the Palace vs. Manchester United match being rescheduled to Sunday.
Sky Sports holds the broadcasting rights for Sunday afternoon games but was likely concerned about the possibility of the noon kick-off running over and extending past 2 p.m.
To counteract this potential overlap, the three games that would have originally kicked off at 2 p.m. have each been pushed back by five minutes.
