FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TO KICK OFF A BONANZA

EXCLUSIVE

THE Premier League plans to restart their season with a bumper weekend of televised matches in a template they will follow for the rest of the campaign.

Sportsmail has learned that TV companies have been told to prepare for the season to resume with one live game on Friday, June 12 or June 19, followed by four live matches at separate kick-off times on Saturday and Sunday, before the return of Monday

Night Football the following day. While the restart fixture has yet to be chosen, Manchester United’s visit to Tottenham has been mentioned, a game that was originally due to take place on Sunday, March 15, the first weekend in which matches were postponed.

The opening game will be televised on a Friday night by Sky Sports, who would show four matches each weekend, with one on BT Sport and the remaining five likely to be made free-to-air, potentially on YouTube or via the red button. Fixtures for the rest of the campaign can now be shown at 3pm on a Saturday after UEFA dropped the traditional blackout. Although it has been suggested there could be a game screened every day when football returns, Sportsmail understands the Premier League want to stick to a routine of there being one match on a Friday, four on Saturday and Sunday — all with staggered kick-off times — then one more on a Monday night. Broadcast companies have been working out ways to maintain the quality of their coverage while adhering to social distancing.