Has TV coverage short-changed Everton fans following the move to Hill Dickinson Stadium? | OneFootball

The increase in live TV football broadcasting in the UK is providing Premier League clubs with essential revenue, but are match-going supporters paying the price?

Following Everton’s move to their new Hill Dickinson Stadium, the issue regarding the growing disconnect between us fans and the club is more apparent than ever, with the main issue being matchday rescheduling.

TV — the Revenue Generator

The Premier League product enables its clubs to generate a significant financial advantage over European rivals. Between 2014 and 2024, Premier League teams have benefited from a £3B growth in television revenues. For comparison, the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A, grew by £5.1B combined.

Broadcasting deals allow teams to invest and expand their worldwide status, with TV income helping Everton to fund Hill Dickinson Stadium as well as transfer fees and players' wages.

However, as a result, more fixtures than ever before are now frequently rescheduled for television coverage in the UK – often at the expense of us fans. So much so that approximately 270 of 380 Premier League games are being broadcast live this season — up from 200 in recent years before the current domestic TV deal came into effect this season.

What happened to 3 pm on Saturday?

Incredibly, there have been just three games that have kicked off on Saturday at 3 pm in Hill Dickinson Stadium this season, a slot that remains a blackout for live televised coverage in the UK. Instead, plenty of fixtures have been rescheduled to evenings, forcing Evertonians into late-night midweek travel.

Monday night’s fixture with Manchester City is the seventh time Everton have played in that timeslot this season. No Premier League team has done so more often. Many of us are left to feel neglected and detached, as Everton have a limited say over fixture rescheduling.

The final verdict typically lies with the Premier League and major broadcasters, who receive primary choice due to funding. These companies will then move fixtures to maximise their viewership.

The danger of alienating match-going fans

The consequences of rescheduling for us match-goers include reduced stadium atmosphere and travel difficulties, with logistical issues, such as rising costs and timing, collectively reducing accessibility.

Many of us may travel from afar, planning a perfect weekend of football and booking travel and accommodation, all for the fixture to be rescheduled for the sake of television coverage.

Ultimately, this risks damaging the connection between the fans and the club, which may discourage future attendance, reducing the historical matchday culture that has defined Everton for generations.

Perhaps the collective fan frustration stems from the idea that we don’t see an instant benefit from fixture rescheduling. Instead, the progressively increasing revenue from TV broadcasting through so-called Facility Fees provides clubs with essential income to turn potential plans into action over the long term.

More sanitised atmospheres in stadiums and empty seats would undermine the product broadcasters are hoping to sell, as the popularity of Premier League football is rooted in us, the passionate fans.

Due to the institutional advantage of live broadcasting, we are likely to be secondary to TV coverage for the foreseeable future.

Whilst we fans are being pushed out, clubs also risk losing their identity to broadcasters, Everton included.

Reader Comments (38)

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I’d just like to post a short word of welcome to Calum, who is the latest addition to our cadre of freelance writers at ToffeeWeb. I’ll let Calum tell us more about himself as he sees fit in the discussion of this important topic, which he and many Everton fans feel increasingly annoyed about.

It’s something that has been picked up by the Everton Fan Advisory Board, who voiced a strongly worded statement condemning the footballing authorities for their clear disregard of fans’ wishes at the end of March, when the change to this weekend’s Manchester City fixture was announced.

That prompted an earlier discussion of these issues here on ToffeeWeb, and clearly it’s an ongoing concern that is not going away anytime soon. And if we were to somehow qualify for European football next season (kinda impossible at this point, I suspect), it would only get worse for Everton, with a lot more fixtures rescheduled away from the traditional 3 pm Saturday afternoon timeslot — and every one of them getting the live TV treatment in the UK.

Mike Hayes 2 Posted 03/05/2026 at 09:37:51

Gone are the days of going to the box office and picking up tickets for the next match and being asked where you want to sit. With the ballot, you can't (as far as I know) order more than one ticket, so I can't take my son(s) or get one for a friend to go... and what's the guarantee of getting said ticket?

A few friends who are season-ticket holders say there's always seats available but they could be those who are ill or have prior engagements they couldn't get out of.

I know we have to move on but tech isn't that good to keep fans away who can only make the occasional matches due to other commitments. 🤷

Ian Jones 3 Posted 03/05/2026 at 09:50:35

I agree with most of what is said in the article and Michael and Mike's comments. Living down in the South of England, I get to see very few live games these days for various reasons but can fully understand our home and away match-going supporters' frustrations etc.

However, it's easy to focus on match-going fans who it's fair to say are the lifeblood of the club but not everyone has the option to attend regularly. Ticket prices, distance, work, or family commitments mean many supporters rely on TV to follow their club. More live games simply make football more accessible to those people.

For some, evening or varied kick-off times are actually more convenient than a fixed Saturday afternoon slot. There's also a sense that the game has outgrown its local roots and now serves a global audience. That doesn't remove the issues for regular attendees, but it does show that not all fans are losing out in the same way.

Perhaps not a popular view, just an alternative.

For the record, I would prefer the traditional Saturday 3 pm kick-off. The early FA Cup rounds with games spread out over about 5 days clearly shows TV and the FA don't much care about the match-going fans.

I can see a future when some fans turn their back on the mainstream game and turn to lower leagues or non-league matches...

Mike Hayes 4 Posted 03/05/2026 at 10:11:24

Watching on Sky (or by other means) is the only way (apart from radio) to follow Everton games -- the cheaper alternative that takes away the match-going experience which I loved; there's no buzz like it.

For those living well away, the cost of travel, staying over if necessary, adds to the expense... but for quite a few, it's an experience worth paying for. 💙

5 Posted 03/05/2026 at 10:21:42

I am afraid that, despite us fans posting how much Monday night games are a pain, as long as 50,000 plus visit every game, then TFG -- who quite frankly don't care about fans' views -- will still keep having games on a Monday to boost their TV revenue.

Likewise our City Council who knew for years the transport links to and from Hill Dickinson Stadium were inadequate have done very little to accommodate the concerns of match-going fans.

I can understand teams playing in Europe having more Monday night games, but that's not the case as Man Utd and us have had the most Monday night games.

I said back in 1992, when clubs sold their souls to Sky, that things would never be the same, and now the Saturday 3:00 pm kick-off is a rarity for all clubs.

While Sky or whoever else might take over the schedules over the coming years, the match-going fan will be the least of their considerations. The money that clubs get from Sky goes straight into the pockets of agents and players, and very little trickles down to grassroots football.

Most clubs are now hiking up season ticket prices and some have abolished their concessions to youngsters and pensioners who have followed their clubs all their lives. TFG have already started this trend by making 2 sections of the ground which this season were family enclosures into Category A seating for next season; so much for encouraging youngsters to go to the game.

So, as much as our FAB question TFG about future pricing structures, concessions and general price increases, they have had no reply from TFG to these questions.

I am afraid the only thing owners care about is profit and the only thing that will consider fans is if fans protest by en masse by not attending a particular game, which would hit the only thing owners care about, which is profit.

The German fans showed us how to get things done when Sky Germany tried to introduce Monday Night Football to the Bundesliga -- the fans got together and boycotted a game. The following day, Sky Germany issued a statement saying there would be no more Monday Night Football -- and don't forget their teams play in Europe as well.

Good comments.

Just to add a bit for older less able supporters, Brian, access and egress is really challenging.

I believe blue badge parking is allowed on some side streets between Regent Road and Great Howard Street -- if you can get a space -- you have to be there at least two hours before, and one hour after the match.

With a night game, you would have to arrive before 6 o'clock and leave around 5 hours later, then drive home. This also assumes that the normal 3-hour limit on blue badge parking is not applied.

I live in North Wales and have been once to the new ground. It is a really top stadium, but it could be years before adequate transport links are up and running.

So armchair viewing is now a default option for many. Sad but true.

Even a removal of the 3 pm blackout won't solve the issue.

The TV companies want the matches on at different times to each other to maximise viewers. If everyone played at 3 pm and they were all televised, fans would only watch their own team.

Instead of the blackout, they should ensure every team plays a certain number of home 3 pm kick-offs, televised or not. With the Internet and all the apps, the blackout is irrelevant.

Joe McMahon 9 Posted 03/05/2026 at 12:10:49

Andrew@6. Fully understand mate. I also don't live local and have MS. I can't walk far at all or stand for long.

Trying to balance both my and my wife's jobs with so many night games is too problematic, it's not doable with having to be up at 6am the following mornings.

Goodison was a better option just because of getting in and out of the ground. We also had more Saturday games then. But TV companies like the BMD facilities.

I'm slowly going off football now... certainly the Premier League and the Champions League farce. It ain't what it was.

I do feel that Sky have done to football what MTV did to music.

Jim Bennings 10 Posted 03/05/2026 at 12:45:32

The whole new stadium move was always going to be like this, the TV companies have a field day with everything now and it was never going to be for the fans this move, albeit a great stadium it is and many will argue we had to move.

Call me an old stick in the mud but I long for the days of Goodison Park, it was easier to get to and from, it was straightforward match paper ticketing, it was the in the community, and frankly it was Everton Football Club. The stands, such as the Gwladys Street, the Bullens Road, were synonymous with EFC.

Money in football has naturally taken the game away from the everyday match-going fan now. It was always going to reach the stage it has now, it began in the 1990s but football then itself and the majority of the support was still the same as it had been in the previous decades.

In the 1990s football was damn exciting and Sky Sports was new to us all so we didn't really pay much notice to it being taken in a completely new direction.

Geoff Cadman 13 Posted 03/05/2026 at 12:49:21

With 9 teams involved in Europe that leaves only 11 who can play on a Monday night during a European week.

If we should qualify for Europe this season, we will have at least 8/10 Thursday night games.

Michael Kenrick 14 Posted 03/05/2026 at 14:16:50

Okay, Brian @5, normally you are so well informed but in this case:

I can understand teams playing in Europe having more Monday night games, but that's not the case as Man Utd and us have had the most Monday night games.

You have got the wrong end of the shitty stick. What I said was that being in Europe means more televised games -- not more Monday Night Football games. Specifically, the Europa League and Conference League games (played on Thursdays) lead to Saturday Premier League matches being switched to Sunday. And from this season, all such games are televised.

The corollary of this is that teams playing in Europe haveless availability for selection by Sky to feature on Monday Night Football, which is exactly the reason why Everton and Man Utd have featured so many times this season -- because they are not in Europe.

Michael Kenrick 15 Posted 03/05/2026 at 14:51:45

I wasn't sure about the title of Calum's piece seeming to invoke Hill Dickinson Stadium as part of the problem here? At least Jim @10 picks up on that, albeit more in terms of the loss of Goodison rather than anthing about the new stadium -- access issues notwithstanding.

My take is it's perhaps the coincidence of the new domestic Premier League deal, bumping up TV games from 200 to 270 this season out of the 380 avaliable — just as Everton move into their brand spanking new Hill Dickinson Stadium. On paper, the higher attendances now possible should help the ardent match-goer?

The TV companies want the matches on at different times to each other to maximise viewers.

You'd have to assume that is the case but Sky Super Sunday don't seem to have too many qualms about showing games simultaneously on different channels. Although I see the second game this afternoon has been shifted to 3:30 pm (slight overlap with the end of the first game), with the third game at 7 pm -- a bit unusual, but we can probably put that down to a Bank Holiday weekend.

Sean Kearns 16 Posted 03/05/2026 at 15:05:20

A lot of our moved primetime fixtures have been because of Jack Grealish this season, not the stadium…

Up until he was injured, we had lots of primetime games and that was why we signed him. The club knew it was going to happen. We get around an extra £1M for live broadcast games and Jack generated the club around $9 million or more up until his injury.

That's why paying his large wages was an investment and we actually made money in the long run from the attention he brought. It wasn't so much the stadium.

Liam Mogan 17 Posted 03/05/2026 at 15:24:02

To be fair, since the loss of Jack's calves, there have been a lot more empty seats.

Ajay Gopal 18 Posted 03/05/2026 at 15:51:59

To add an international perspective, the Monday night or mid-week late evening games are not watchable in large parts of Asia.

It would be past midnight in India and unearthly early morning in places like China, Korea, Japan. That is potentially almost 2 billion viewers that the Premier League is missing out on.

Kunal Desai 19 Posted 03/05/2026 at 18:15:03

Broadcasters NBC and Peacock bought the rights from the Premier League for viewers across the US. Evening kick-offs work for our friends across the pond -- big market out there with America wanting a slice of the pie in 'soccer'.

I agree with others: TFG don't give a monkey's about the average Evertonian. They see the opportunity to commercialise the shit out of the club. Bottom line, nothing else matters.

Danny Baily 20 Posted 03/05/2026 at 19:04:53

One thing I've noticed is that aerial shots of the stadium invariably look north. I'm yet to see a shot with the city centre in the background.

I appreciate the desire to get the Hill Dickinson signage in shot, but I think we're being short changed by not showing off our stadium's prime location to television audiences.

Si Cooper 21 Posted 03/05/2026 at 19:48:21

So no point even trying to get into Europe then, ‘cause the faithful are going to be boycotting all those midweek and Sunday fixtures?

Life is full of challenges. The Saturday afternoon 3 pm slot is no longer sacred so it's adapt or relinquish your seat to someone who will. They might be just as good an Evertonian as you.

I've never had a season ticket precisely because I've never been in a position where I could attend regularly, so I have relied on the likes of Sky to enable me to see games. I'd be a hypocrite to detest the service Sky provide but, on forums like this, I often think I am expected to be utterly ashamed of myself.

Kunal, if they don't ‘commercialise the shit out of the club' how do you expect us to grow and compete? If you were to accuse them of milking the club, then I'd be worried, but I just haven't seen any evidence yet that TFG have no interest in the club being a sporting giant again.

Michael Kenrick 22 Posted 03/05/2026 at 20:21:59

Kunai,

I have to agree with Si, TFG are doing nothing out of the normal to benefit from televised games. It's what every other club in the Premier League does.

To claim that TFG "see the opportunity to commercialise the shit out of the club. Bottom line, nothing else matters" is ridiculous in its absurdity.

As owners, they have a fiduciary duty to ensure the club is and remains a going concern, and that commercial income is secured from every available opportunity. As Calum say, that money is needed to fund the new stadium, pay players' wages, fund transfer fees and plans for the future, as in any business.

How else do you ever expect us to be able to compete with the big boys???

Ian Bennett 23 Posted 03/05/2026 at 20:29:32

I assume theyre contractually obliged to play the games, Sky choose.

Ian Wilkins 24 Posted 03/05/2026 at 21:46:16

Kieran Maguire (football business professor) told an audience of mainly mature Evertonians that, as mature season ticket holders, Everton FC didn't really want us.

Why? Because we have a discounted ticket, we rarely spend on club merchandise, probably habitually spend money out of the stadium, meeting friends at pubs pre-match etc.

With fewer season ticket holders, Everton can sell tickets at a premium to those on waiting lists, or tourists visiting Liverpool, wanting to see a Premier League game maybe as a once-in-a-lifetime thing. They spend money in the shop, they eat and drink in the ground.

The revenue from ‘tourists' is far higher than from season ticket holders. Not rocket science.

Liverpool and many others have reduced numbers of season tickets, we'll go the same way, maybe many priced out of attending.

Business is first, second and third…

Tony Abrahams 25 Posted 03/05/2026 at 21:54:41

In this modern world where money comes first, loyalty comes near the bottom.

For some people, loyalty that can never be questioned by others might end up being questioned by themselves once they truly realise that the bastards don't even care.

Maybe that's a little bit deep for this very shallow world!!

Si Cooper 26 Posted 03/05/2026 at 23:48:54

Loyalty also has to work both ways.

Is the club actively trying to make life difficult for supporters or is it just attempting to maximise revenue and hoping nobody is inconvenienced too much?

I am entirely sympathetic to genuine hardship cases but I'm much less bothered if people are just peeved that their preferred routine needs some readjustment.

Mike Gaynes 27 Posted 03/05/2026 at 00:22:23

Kunal #19,"to commercialise the shit out of the club" is how you generate the revenues that allow you to compete for big-money player talent -- and therefore the Champions League and the Premier League title.

The RS can spend £100M on a player because they have 4x our commercial revenues -- because 15 years ago their new owners made the decision"to commercialise the shit out of the club".

I am hoping that's exactly what TFG does. Why wouldn't you?

As for taking good care of the average Evertonian, let's wait and see if they deal with the obvious issues of ticket prices and stadium access, but I'm pretty sure changing kickoff times isn't ownership's call.

Eric Myles 28 Posted 04/05/2026 at 02:10:33

Surely the people subscribing to Sky and the like are primarily interested in watching their own team's games? And as a secondary interest, another team? And a tertiary interest in football in general?

So all clubs can have a 3 o'clock Saturday kick-off and Sky sell subscriptions based on your primary choice of team with add-on packages for Video On Demand to watch other teams' matches straight afterwards, or instead of, or at your leisure.

This would be better for a lot of overseas fans like me who would then have a reasonable viewing time to watch a live match instead of silly o'clock in the dead of the night, something I've given up on. Those with wider interest than their own team can then access the VoD matches.

Alternatively, and possibly a little more difficult, the Premier League and Sky get together at the time the fixtures are generated and pre-plan the revised schedules to suit the broadcasters and not leave it until the last minute. This minimises disruption to fans except for cup and European participations.

ps: For those having problems with the edit function I've found that mashing the Edit icon furiously for about 5 seconds gets the Edit Comment window to open.

Si Cooper 29 Posted 04/05/2026 at 04:14:04

Eric,

All clubs can have a Saturday 3 pm kick-off except those who are playing on a Thursday evening?

All fans always want to watch their team on a Saturday at 3 pm? Because no-one is ever doing anything else at that time are they?

Instead of trying to get the genie back in the bottle, why not just accept that football clubs aren't going to forego the TV revenue and the TV companies want to cover all the bases including appealing to either new or simply nonpartisan fans of the sport who may indeed be inclined to watch a couple of games back to back.

If the game you want to watch is on at an inconvenient time, a TV viewer can always record it and watch it later.

It seems the mountain really must come to Mohammed.

Paul Hewitt 30 Posted 04/05/2026 at 07:37:47

Stop going to Monday night games.

It's that simple.

Paul Griffiths 31 Posted 04/05/2026 at 08:09:52

Genuine fans who go every home game religiously and others who get to as many as possible for them religiously cannot do that, as you should know, Paul - 30.

There is no choice… and without these wonderful people, we would be nothing.

Ian Jones 32 Posted 04/05/2026 at 08:50:02

Re the Edit function. If using a mobile, turn the phone to landscape/horizontal position, editing is possible on a Samsung Galaxy.

Assume it's the same on other phones..

Paul Hewitt 33 Posted 04/05/2026 at 08:56:03

PG. Sorry mate but that's not true.

If Monday night games were played in near empty stadiums, the clubs would also demand a change. If your going to keep going then you can't complain.

Eric Myles 34 Posted 04/05/2026 at 09:04:38

Thanks Ian #32, I'll try that.

Edit: YES! Works perfectly, seems the webpage is formated for columns not rows.

Edit again, it appears the webpages are formatted for desktop computer viewing, not 'phones. Come on Tech, join the 21st century!

Eric Myles 35 Posted 04/05/2026 at 09:11:11

Si #29, the game used to be about the fans, so if the fans pressure the clubs and the clubs are supposed to be the ones that control the Premier League, then they can negotiate terms with Sky or find another broadcaster.

Eric Myles 36 Posted 04/05/2026 at 09:17:51

Paul #33, it wasn't so long ago that all games were played in empty stadiums. Did any season ticket holders get a refund or credit for renewal for the games they couldn't attend?

The show still went on because of the contract with Sky.

Paul Griffiths 37 Posted 04/05/2026 at 10:08:08

Nope PH, that's in a world of yours my mate

Dave Abrahams 38 Posted 04/05/2026 at 10:34:02

I think the club will play when they are told to and will be very happy to do because the club will be well paid for those matches.

I doubt that boycotting some games will make any difference seeing as most of the tickets are prepaid anyway.

What will change is in future years there will be less and less fanatical lifetime supporters and that will make a big difference at the game, it will be like going to the cinema or theatre although the audience at the football game might not appreciate it as much as those going to the cinema because quite a big proportion of them will know a lot less about football than the fanatical supporter did and the players will certainly notice the difference with the muted applause, mind you there will be a lot less booing!

Just a final thought that will be of no use to the debate — The new stadium is fabulous but “ The Old Lady” was where the heart and soul was.

Tony Abrahams 39 Posted 04/05/2026 at 11:00:09

That will be true to you and countless others Dave, but when you move into a new home, it’s all about trying to create another heart and soul, and I don’t think this will be hard to do once we get a positive manager and some better players.

I have a thousand memories of Goodison, some good, some great, some bad and some horrible, but I was glad I wasn’t there the day that David Moyes, was clapped out of the stadium, and I definitely don’t think he his the type of manager we need if we want to start winning things, which will definitely help the new stadium, create a brand new soul.

Dave Abrahams 40 Posted 04/05/2026 at 11:14:02

Tony (39) You might be right Tony but when you were reared and brought up in a lovely home it is harder to get used to a new home especially when you can’t stand the manager who spoilt it for you at at the old home and is now serving up the same stuff as before at the new ground.

A house is not a home unless it is run properly.

Tony Abrahams 41 Posted 04/05/2026 at 11:29:03

That’s why I can’t be bothered going to visit Everton, playing in our new home tonight Dave.

It’s an intriguing game, one that might just suit us, or one that might completely expose the limitations in our squad, but I’m bored with the football, and I was already bored with David Moyes, long before he left Everton, in May 2013.

It didn’t used to matter, it was always, just always about Everton, but we have been to hell and back, whilst waiting for the keys to our shiny new home and I don’t think we will make many new memories, whilst we are only looking for stability.