Boxing Day shambles as Premier League delay making announcement | OneFootball

Boxing Day football is set to go the way of so many other traditions for fans of Premier League clubs.

This year’s festive period looks all but certain to see only one of the ten scheduled Premier League matches played on 26 December 2025.

Whilst the EFL and the National League are sticking with tradition, still all their games scheduled for Boxing Day, the fans of only two Premier League teams will be watching their sides play on Boxing Day.

The Times report (see below) that with Boxing Day falling on a Friday, it means the other nine matches are set to be delayed until the weekend and the following Monday 29 December.

As to why this is the case, you won’t be astonished when you find out that it is due to deals with broadcasters.

With The Times reporting that; ‘Premier League officials have been forced into this position by broadcast contracts that require them to play on 33 weekends every season, with only five rounds of midweek fixtures.’

All the Premier League changes for December were due to be announced on 15 October 2026 but when the announcement finally came, it only confirmed Premier League matches up to and including the weekend of 20 December 2025. Newcastle’s match schedule confirmed (see below) up to and including Chelsea at St James’ Park on Saturday 20 Dec with a 12.30pm kick-off.

This newspaper report saying that the Premier League and broadcasters still deliberating on which of the ten Premier League matches will be played on Boxing Day.

That Boxing Day weekend sees Newcastle United away at Man U, with then other following matches still needing dates confirmed, with currently listed ahead of changes for TV as; Burnley v Newcastle on Tuesday 30 Dec, Newcastle v Palace on Saturday 3 Jan, Newcastle v Leeds on Wednesday 7 Jan, then the weekend of Saturday 10 January is FA Cup third round.

The Times report – 28 October 2025:

The long-standing tradition of watching football on Boxing Day could be all but abandoned by the Premier League this year, with only one match likely to be staged on December 26.

Boxing Day falls on a Friday, so the other nine matches are likely to be delayed until the weekend and the following Monday, December 29. It would mean the fewest top-flight games on December 26 since 1982.

The dates and times for the Christmas fixtures have not yet been finalised but The Times understands Premier League officials have been forced into this position by broadcast contracts that require them to play on 33 weekends every season, with only five rounds of midweek fixtures. The TV dates for December were due to be announced on October 15.

With the expansion of Uefa’s European competitions and the FA Cup now occupying more weekends — a concession that followed the agreement to scrap replays — it leaves the Premier League needing Saturday, December 27 and Sunday, December 28 to fulfil its contractual obligations…when December 26 last fell on a Friday, in 2014, all ten Premier League fixtures took place on that day.’

‘…with matches up to December 20 confirmed thus far. But this potentially divisive issue is still being debated, with the identity of the fixture that is to be played on Boxing Day this year yet to be determined.

With Boxing Day falling on a Saturday in 2026, the Premier League expects a return to normality. But this year is likely to be viewed as a typical weekend, with the majority of games on Saturday and Sunday and the last of the ten matches held on the Monday.’

Confirmed Newcastle United fixtures to 20 December 2025 (All of the Champions League matches will also be available to watch on TV in the UK):

Wednesday 29 October – Newcastle v Spurs (8pm) ITV and Sky Sports

Sunday 2 November – West Ham v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Wednesday 5 November: Newcastle United vs Athletic Club Bilbao (8pm)

Sunday 9 November – Brentford v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 22 November – Newcastle v Man City (5.30pm) Sky Sports

Tuesday 25 November: Olympique Marseille vs Newcastle United (8pm)

Saturday 29 November – Everton v Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports

Tuesday 2 December – Newcastle v Spurs (8.15pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 6 December – Newcastle v Burnley (3pm)

Wednesday 10 December – Bayer Leverkusen v Newcastle United (8pm)

Sunday 14 December – Sunderland v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports