Premier League Breaks Tradition: Boxing Day Fixtures Mysteriously Absent This Season

Boxing Day Premier League matches have traditionally been a cherished fixture in the English football schedule.

Filled with leftover Christmas dinner and nursing mild hangovers from yesterday's excessive Bailey's consumption, it's customary for tired fans to make their way to football grounds nationwide, hoping for one final festive gift.

Yet, when the 2025–26 Premier League schedule was revealed on June 18, Boxing Day fixtures were conspicuously missing, causing disappointment and anger among fans.

However, appearances can be deceiving...

What's Behind the Absence of Premier League Games on Boxing Day?

The current Premier League season structure includes 33 weekend slots and five midweek fixture rounds. This framework is designed to prevent scheduling conflicts with domestic tournaments (FA Cup and Carabao Cup) and UEFA's trio of European competitions (Champions League, Europa League and Conference League).

This distribution of 33 weekend and five midweek slots is crucial for the Premier League's television package sales to domestic broadcasting partners like Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

Since Boxing Day occurs on a Friday this year, games played on December 26 would count as weekend fixtures rather than one of the five designated midweek rounds. Consequently, all Gameweek 18 matches are currently set for Saturday, December 27.

This represents the first occasion in Premier League history where Boxing Day matches weren't included in the initial fixture release.

Could Premier League Games Be Rescheduled to Boxing Day?

Very likely, yes. The Premier League has already confirmed that "matches in round 18 (December 27) are available for movement to Boxing Day for live broadcast selection", indicating that several games will probably be moved forward to December 26 for television coverage.

Since Amazon Prime Video's Premier League contract has ended—they previously showed last season's Boxing Day games—UK broadcasters Sky Sports and TNT will determine which Gameweek 18 matches to televise, including those shifted to Boxing Day.

The Premier League typically gives at least six weeks' notice before rescheduling fixtures for TV broadcast. This means fans will probably need to wait until at least mid-October to learn which games will take place on December 26.

For 2025–26, more live Premier League matches will be televised than ever, with 270 out of 380 games being broadcast.

2025–26 Premier League Schedule for Gameweek 18

Although the Premier League fixture list remains subject to seasonal changes, these are the current matches scheduled for December 27: