EPL plans 17 June return with all matches on TV
The Premier League is targeting a 17 June return, with all 92 matches remaining in the 2019-20 season set to be televised in a feast of football.
The Government must still give the green light to the competition resuming behind closed doors as the UK continues along its road map to recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But football fans can now begin to look forward to Premier League football again after what by then will have been a break of more than three months, with the English professional game having been shut down since 13 March .
The first matches will take place on Wednesday, 17 June – the rearranged fixtures between Aston Villa and Sheffield United and Manchester City v Arsenal.
That will mean all 20 clubs will have played 29 matches heading into the weekend of 19-21 June, when the first full round of games are set to be played.
All the Premier League’s broadcast partners will screen matches live under the new agreement, including the BBC, which means the corporation televising a live Premier League match for the first time since the competition’s foundation in 1992. Games on a Friday will kick off at 8pm, while on Saturday the slots will be 12.30pm, 3pm, 5.30pm and 8pm.
Sunday matches will kick off at either 12pm, 2pm, 4.30pm and 7pm, with Monday games starting at 8pm. Midweekgamesontuesdays and Wednesday will kick off at either 6pm or 8pm.
Sky Sports announced last night that 25 of the 64 matches it would televise would be available free to air. It is understood the clubs reached an agreement in principle on the rebate to broadcasters due to the delay to the season.
There are still hurdles to clear – notably agreements over where the matches will be played, with neutral venues still under discussion, and also an agreement on a model for curtailing the season should it become necessary. Both remain works in progress.