THE Premier League will only have one game staged on Boxing Day this year due to broadcasting deals, according to reports.
Fans have long been accustomed to watching a festive treat of action the day after Christmas Day.
But this season, there will be just a solitary match on offer in the Premier League because of the way broadcasting deals have been arranged, according to the Times.
This year’s Boxing Day falls on a Friday, which means the other nine matches are set to be moved to the weekend of December 27 and 28, plus the 29th on Monday.
That’s because Premier League broadcasting contracts require games to be played on 33 weekends every season.
Only five rounds of midweek games are included in those contracts and FA Cup action is now staged on more weekends after replays were scrapped.
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The Premier League is therefore required to use the December 27 and 28 slots to fulfil its contractual obligations.
One of midweek slots for the Premier League includes Tuesday December 30, so there will still be a presence of the festive broadcasting calendar fans have come to know.
Fans voiced their displeasure at the news online, with one writing on X: “The game’s gone.”
Another said: “Big change—Boxing Day won’t be the same!“
And a third fan added: “This is ridiculous, Boxing Day football has been a tradition for a very very long time.”
The change would mean the top flight could have the fewest games on Boxing Day since the World War II.
The last time Boxing Day fell on a Friday in 2014, all ten top flight matches were staged that same day.
The fewest fans have seen on a Boxing Day is two in 1981, while there were three in 1993.
The report adds that the plans are not set in stone, with clubs set to be notified about the broadcasting changes six weeks before the games take place.
Usual Boxing Day action is expected to return to normal next year with a full schedule as it will fall on a Saturday in 2026.
Those who are keen to watch other games on Boxing Day won’t be disappointed, however.
The EFL are still planning to play their set of games as normal, as are the National League.
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