Fixtures are out for Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday but what does that mean for traditional Saturday 3pm kick offs in our city?
The EFL have rather buried the lead about fixture release day today.
"Every game from the opening weekend, final day, and all midweek fixtures in the EFL will be shown live on TV, as will all games played on Bank Holidays including Easter, Boxing Day and New Year's Day."
"Every game in both the Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy will also be televised."
Each team is promised a minimum of 20 TV games a season, while for Championship clubs this increases to 24 - and no TV games will be played at Saturday 3pm.
Each EFL weekend round will have on TV:
• 1 Friday 8pm
• 6 Saturday 1230s
• 1 Sunday 1pm
• 2 more played in one of the 3 slots above.
• 5 of the 10 above to be Championship games.
So when you parse this out Wednesday and United have 16 league games presently not scheduled for Saturday 3pm (TV selections for August and September will be made next week). That presently leaves 30 Saturday 3pms; however, just under half of these are likely to be moved. (due to 5 of 12 Championship games each weekend being televised).
So that means The Owls and The Blades will likely play 13 of those 30 Saturday 3pms on TV (and therefore at another time), meaning they are likely left with just 17 Saturday 3pm all season.
17 out of 46. Wow.
Split those 17 games to account for home and away games and you’ll have 8/9 home Saturday 3pms next season to look forward to.
Again. Wow.
What effect will this have? Lower gate receipts? More local football fans watching non-league if their professional team doesn’t play on the Saturday?
2024/25 will be very interesting…
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