Manchester United’s Scheduling Advantage: Why European Commitments Dictate Premier League Kick-Off Times
LONDON – Manchester United are benefiting from a scheduling quirk in the Premier League this season, consistently appearing in televised slots unavailable to teams competing in European competitions. The advantage stems from the latest four-year TV rights deal, where Sky sports holds the majority of first picks – 14 for 17:30 Saturday kick-offs and 18 for Sunday at 16:30 – while TNT Sports has the 12:30 Saturday slot but no first selection rights.
The selection process is heavily influenced by the European football calendar, with nine British clubs participating in UEFA competitions this season. Teams involved in Europa League or Conference League matches on Thursdays – currently Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest – are ineligible for Saturday games.Similarly, teams playing Champions League matches away from home on Wednesdays are often scheduled for 20:00 Saturday kick-offs if selected by TNT Sports.
This was demonstrated with Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Fulham, originally slated for a Friday or Monday at 20:00 the same weekend, but moved to Saturday at 20:00 due to Spurs’ Champions League fixture against Paris-St Germain on November 26th and a subsequent Premier League game on December 2nd. A recent adjustment saw Crystal Palace v Manchester United moved from Saturday, November 29th to Sunday at 12:00, as Crystal Palace’s European commitments prevented a Saturday broadcast.
As European participation limits scheduling options, teams without continental commitments, like Manchester United, are favored for Monday night selections. Further constraints apply to Saturday slots: every club must be featured at least once in the 12:30 and 17:30 games, with a maximum of six appearances in those slots. All other slots are capped at five appearances per team. Currently, Manchester United have already been selected for Monday night games three times, limiting their availability to just two further appearances in that slot.
