29 Premier League Christmas fixtures announced three months early, Boxing Day double-header broadcast

The Premier League officially announced this season's Christmas schedule on September 10, more than three months earlier than in previous years. From December 26 to January 7, a total of 29 matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The official reason given was that the early announcement “gives fans more than three months to plan and arrange travel,” especially to deal with the busiest period of the year. The decision was made after consultations with the Football Supporters' Association and representatives from club fan advisory boards.

Boxing Day double-header broadcast

This year's Boxing Day (December 26) features seven Premier League matches, with two of them forming a Sky Sports live double-header:

Hull City vs Liverpool, kick-off at 5:30 pm

Newcastle vs Manchester City, kick-off at 8 pm

Super Sunday on December 27 will feature three consecutive broadcasts:

Coventry vs Chelsea, 2 pm, with Lampard facing his former club as Coventry manager

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest, 4:30 pm

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal, 7 pm

Both midweek rounds fully live

There are two Premier League midweek rounds during the Christmas period, and every match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The first round will take place from Tuesday, December 29 to Wednesday, December 30, including:

Hull City vs Leeds United, 7:30 pm

Tottenham vs Brighton, 7:30 pm

Everton vs Manchester City, 7:30 pm

Coventry vs Brentford, 7:30 pm

Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth, 7:30 pm

Fulham vs Arsenal, 7:30 pm

Manchester United vs Sunderland, 7:30 pm

The second midweek round will take place from Tuesday, January 5 to Thursday, January 7.

New Year weekend continues with consecutive broadcasts

Between the two midweek rounds, Sky Sports will broadcast:

Friday, January 1 evening match: Leeds United vs Everton

Saturday, January 3 evening match at 5:30 pm: Bournemouth vs Aston Villa

That weekend's Super Sunday will feature two matches:

Chelsea vs Newcastle, 2 pm

Manchester City vs Tottenham, 4:30 pm

The Premier League's decision to announce the Christmas schedule more than three months early, along with consultations with fan organizations, was primarily aimed at giving supporters enough time to arrange travel during the busiest travel period of the year.