Premier League increases matches in live TV broadcast deal
The Premier League will increase the number of live televised fixtures in the UK from 200 to around 270 in its next rights cycle.
Five live packages of between 42 and 65 games are going up for tender in a four-year deal from the 2025-26 season.
The Saturday afternoon 3pm blackout will remain in place but every 2pm Sunday kick-off will be televised.
This is the first time the Premier League has been through a tender process for its rights since 2018.
The current deal, which expires at the end of the 2024-25 season, is a rollover of the previous agreement after the government granted an exclusion order during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently Sky has four packages consisting of 128 matches per season, TNT two packages with 52 matches and Amazon has one package of 20 matches.
In the new deal, five midweek rounds will be available instead of the current four, while the Saturday 12:30pm and 5:30pm and the Sunday 2pm and 4.30pm stay in place, along with the 8pm Monday or Friday slot.
The tender process will be completed by the end of the year.
