2016-17 Premier League TV Fixtures Thread

12467135

Comments

  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    So for Sky we are looking at 3 games for one of the Christmas rounds then?

    Well Sky will definitely show four games in each of the bank holiday rounds (Dec 26-27 and January 2-4). How many games they show in the round in between will depend upon how they see the fixtures. They could certainly have four games should they wish to (Friday night, Saturday lunchtime and two on the Sunday).
  • mlt11mlt11 Posts: 21,065
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    With 4 games on the BH round it'll be interesting to see how Sky work around the World Darts Championship.

    Last season the darts final was on 3 Jan, with the SFs on 2 Jan and the QFs on 1 Jan.

    I'm sure they'll want to avoid a clash with the final and probably also the SFs if possible.

    Of course Sky is helped by the fact that it's likely they'll be able to exert a lot of influence over the scheduling of the darts.
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Thanks to TheSubaru2012 for the 2016-17 calendar. I think midweek rounds will be played before Christmas (Tues/Wed/Thur 20/21/22 Dec) and following the Fourth Round of the FA Cup (Tues/Wed 31 Jan/1 Feb).

    In recent seasons, the midweek that follows the League Cup Final (Tues/Wed 28 Feb/1 Mar) has had the final midweek round. This season, however, there is a vacant midweek in early April (Tues/Wed 4/5). I wonder, therefore, if they'll leave the midweek after the League Cup Final vacant for FA Cup Fifth Round Replays? This would be quite good for BT as the final midweek would be Round 31 rather than Round 27.

    This works out well this season with the later finish. There might still be issues with Fifth Round Replays in seasons needing an earlier finish for a summer tournament.
  • loyalsinceloyalsince Posts: 6,006
    Forum Member
    Before Xmas midweek round may not be favoured by clubs. If three mid weeks, then the rounds around Xmas become sky 4 bt 0 on two, and most likely sky 3 bt one on the other, with sky prob prepared to pass.

    I think the 27th will be bank hol, so sky could do 2 games on Mon, 2 on Tue.

    2 on 31st sat and 2 on Sun (3 sky, 1 bt)

    Then sky could show a game on Mon, Tue, wed and thur night

    Mlt11 right to note darts, dates tbc. I think sky may show Mon 530 (between two teams who played on sat) as lead in to final.

    Edit: mid weeks on 14th Dec, after cup r4 and league cup I think.

    Always better to leave a late midweek free in case of cup postponement or other issues that may arise

    Edit: tlg great spot re round five replays. I think the scrapping of qf replays is because prem lge round then.
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    So the Free Midweeks are

    13 Dec
    20 Dec

    17 Jan (3rd Rd Replay)
    31 Jan
    07 Feb (4th Rd Replay)
    28 Feb (5th Rd Replay)

    04 Apr
    25 Apr
    16 May

    So the Pl should go for 13 Dec 31 Jan and then either 28 Feb or 4 Apr
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I think Boxing day will have 2 games on TV

    Then another 2 on the 27th which is a Bank Holiday

    But Sky may prefer one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    As for week one it looks like the new contract is for EITHER Friday OR Monday and not both
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    As for the 31st December it is highly likely to be Friday 30th and Sat morning on the 31st

    Cant see anyone picking 530 on new Years Eve ???
  • Steve WilliamsSteve Williams Posts: 11,816
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Every single season, in September, October, and November, we have a constant two week break in the Premier League for qualifying internationals (which wastes a midweek every single time it happens,) and in March before the big international tournaments a two week break for friendly internationals, this season it happened to be during Easter weekend, a time when domestic matches could and indeed should be played.

    That certainly doesn't happen every single season, this season was the first time it had ever happened.
    Judio wrote: »
    As for the 31st December it is highly likely to be Friday 30th and Sat morning on the 31st

    Cant see anyone picking 530 on new Years Eve ???

    No, the last two occasions where New Year's Eve was on a Saturday, in 2005 and 2011, there were no 5.30 games. In 2005 Sky showed a Championship game at teatime and in 2011 they didn't show anything. It's basically common sense, hardly any fans want to be going to matches at that time on New Year's Eve, especially if they're far away, the transport is all to pot and the police are clearly very stretched. In 1994, when New Year's Eve fell on a Saturday, Norwich vs Newcastle was played at 1pm so Newcastle fans could get home in good time.

    In 2011, ESPN had the rights to Saturday 5.30 games but got to show one on Saturday lunchtime instead, and in turn Sky showed one on Friday, presumably from the Saturday lunchtime package. That round should operate like a normal weekend so BT will have a pick, but will presumably be able to move it to another slot. Or of course pass completely.
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    In 2011-12 the 14 December was left free and a midweek round was played on Dec 20/21/22. I can't remember if three games were shown - but Sky certainly showed Spurs v Chelsea on the Thursday night. I think a midweek round on these dates makes much more sense.

    If a midweek is scheduled for 13/14 December, that rules out Monday night for the previous week and probably the Friday night of the following week. By contrast, the following midweek has the option of playing on the Thursday night to allow Sky to show a game on the Monday night should they wish.

    But most of all, if the midweek before Christmas was left blank, it would just feel like a long wait for Boxing Day!
  • Ziegler1988Ziegler1988 Posts: 105
    Forum Member
    Are we expecting a return to no Premier League fixtures on FA Cup Quarterfinal weekend like in 2014/15?
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    In 2011, ESPN had the rights to Saturday 5.30 games but got to show one on Saturday lunchtime instead, and in turn Sky showed one on Friday, presumably from the Saturday lunchtime package. That round should operate like a normal weekend so BT will have a pick, but will presumably be able to move it to another slot. Or of course pass completely.

    I was forgetting about it being NYE, I suspect 17:30 will be off limits. The protocol for fifth picks is difficult to decipher - 11 weekends will have only four games - but it's difficult to know who has the right to pass. I suppose the Sunday 12:00 slot is an option if someone really wants a fifth game.

    Of course, another game on the Sunday would limit Sky's options for the Monday. I don't think we've ever truly worked out who the Premier League prioritizers when it comes to weekend/midweek conflicts, but this will be another pinch point in that regard.
    Are we expecting a return to no Premier League fixtures on FA Cup Quarterfinal weekend like in 2014/15?

    I put the calendar into the Midweeks tab of my spreadsheet and I reckon there will be a round of Premier League games scheduled for the weekend of the FA Cup Quarter Final.
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    If you look at the first post

    BT are allowed to have some Sunday picks in their package

    Package F: 6 midweek; 8 at Sat 12.30pm or Sat 5.30pm or Sun 12pm BT

    So on Sat Dec 31st they could select Sunday 1st instead

    Though for the fans I hope they dont pick midday the morning after New Years Eve !!!

    Or they could have Sat 1230 with Sky having Friday night then 2 on Sunday
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The FA Cup Final date has yet to be confirmed while the UEFA Europa League final is now on a Tuesday, (24th May)

    The Football League have already told us though !!!

    The Sky Bet Play-Off Finals will be played over split weekends due to the FA Cup Final taking place on Saturday 27th May 2017.

    As a result, the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final will take place the previous Saturday (20th May), with the Sky Bet League Two Play-Off Final on Sunday 28th May 2017 and the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final being played on Monday 29th May 2017
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Man Utd v Bournemouth had a rating of 706,000 which seems quite good. I'll take a closer look at the figures later today, but here are the TV ratings as listed by BARB for Sky and BT in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16:

    (all figures in 1,000s)

    Sky

    13-14: 1,200
    14-15: 1,021
    15-16: 1,019

    BT

    13-14: 562
    14-15: 596
    15-16: 614

    So Sky were just about the same in 2015-16 as in 2014-15. Having grown by 6% in 2014-15, BT's rating improved by a further 3% in 2015-16.
  • Steve WilliamsSteve Williams Posts: 11,816
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    TLG86 wrote: »
    In 2011-12 the 14 December was left free and a midweek round was played on Dec 20/21/22. I can't remember if three games were shown - but Sky certainly showed Spurs v Chelsea on the Thursday night. I think a midweek round on these dates makes much more sense.

    There were three matches that week, on the Wednesday they had Wigan vs Liverpool, the Suarez T-shirt game of course. That was also the night of the ten thousandth Premier League goal, and Sky did goalflashes on screen throughout, counting down to it.

    The time before that when the dates fell this way was in 2005, when they had a round of fixtures scheduled for 28th December, but it was a bit awkward because it meant everyone had to play on the Wednesday because everyone had already played on the Monday and would be playing again on the Saturday, and because it wasn't a Bank Holiday they all had to be evening kick-offs. Although having everyone play at the same time is great fun, it meant Sky could only show one match from that round.

    The time before that, in 1994, they had two full rounds of fixtures on Boxing Day and Tuesday 27th, the last ever time teams have played league games on consecutive days.
    Are we expecting a return to no Premier League fixtures on FA Cup Quarterfinal weekend like in 2014/15?

    Hmm, hard to say, because it used to be that there'd only be fixtures on quarter final weekend if it was a season followed by a tournament, so get it finished quicker, but for a couple of years they started to do it every season regardless. Then in 2015, as you say, they went back to the old system.
    Judio wrote: »
    Though for the fans I hope they dont pick midday the morning after New Years Eve !!!

    Well, a lunchtime kick-off on New Year's Day isn't that unusual, that happens most years. West Brom famously had three in a row in recent years.

    It happened before the Premier League too, because Sheffield Wednesday vs Man City on New Year's Day 1990 is the last top flight match from which no footage exists because it was being covered by a single camera and the cameraman forgot it was a lunchtime kick-off.
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The time before that, in 1994, they had two full rounds of fixtures on Boxing Day and Tuesday 27th, the last ever time teams have played league games on consecutive days.

    According to statto, only two games were played on the 27 December. Nevertheless, it would feel very strange today to have games on consecutive days.
  • PhilH36PhilH36 Posts: 26,191
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Judio wrote: »
    Though for the fans I hope they dont pick midday the morning after New Years Eve !!!

    I seem to remember attending a Sunderland game at lunchtime on New Years Day, IIRC it was away at Leicester.
  • Steve WilliamsSteve Williams Posts: 11,816
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    TLG86 wrote: »
    According to statto, only two games were played on the 27 December. Nevertheless, it would feel very strange today to have games on consecutive days.

    Yes, presumably the teams were able to move them to the Wednesday if they wanted to, but when the fixtures were published I think they were all down on the Tuesday. Presumably the increased revenue for a 3pm fixture offset the issues of teams playing twice in two days for the four teams that did it. Obviously, in those days the days when that kind of thing happened frequently at Christmas and Easter would have been in recent memory.
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I think you're right - Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City was the first PL game I ever went to and I'm sure that was originally scheduled for the 27. I've always thought that must have been a mistake, but now you've mentioned it, I suspect it was probably moved. I wonder when they had back to back games if there was an advantage to playing home and then away or away and then home?
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Interesting Judio. Only three games were played on Sunday 26 December, 1993. I guess this reflects the fact that back then Christmas Sunday was still a thing and Boxing Day was the Monday. The previous time Christmas fell on a Saturday was 1982 and that season no games were played on Sunday 26.
  • JudioJudio Posts: 11,717
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Dont forget that Football on a Sunday used to be not allowed due to Sunday trading

    It started in early 80s I think and in early games you bought a programme to get in as they could not charge admission at turnstiles
  • TLG86TLG86 Posts: 11,484
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I've updated my TV Ratings spreadsheet to include figures from 2015-16. Not a lot actually changed from last season in terms of kick off times. Unsurprisingly, ratings for Sky games involving Leicester increased by 263,000 per game whilst BT's Leicester games were up 340,000. This included two of their top 10 games (Man City home and away). The only other big move for Sky was Southampton - though may in part be because of the opposition this season compared with last.

    Sky's best rated game in 2015-16 was Man Utd v Man City in week 10. At 1.98 million, this means that Sky did not break the 2 million mark this season. Interestingly, the top four places are occupied by both Manchester Derbies and the Man Utd v Liverpool games. The Man Utd v Liverpool game at Old Trafford is the first Saturday Sky game in the last three seasons to make the top 10. I think it's interesting that derbies appear to rate well. Man Utd v Arsenal had the second highest rating in 2013-14, but neither fixture made the top 10 in 2014-15. This season the two fixtures came ninth and tenth. By contrast, Arsenal v Spurs in Week 12 was the fifth most watched Sky game of the 2015-16.

    Having broken the 1 million mark three times in 2013-14 and twice in 2014-15, BT only managed it once in 2015-16 (Man Utd v Chelsea). In all three seasons, the best rating was achieved on a bank holiday, so this will be a loss to BT next season. Their best rated Saturday 12:45 game was Spurs v Arsenal (880,000). This was down from their peak of 973,000 for Liverpool v Arsenal in 2013-14 and also lower than the 940,000 for Liverpool v Chelsea in 2014-15. Interestingly, Chelsea v Liverpool in Week 11 of 2015-16 rated at just 735,000, probably reflecting the mediocre start to the season made by both teams.
  • mlt11mlt11 Posts: 21,065
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    TLG86 wrote: »
    I've updated my TV Ratings spreadsheet to include figures from 2015-16...................

    Just to say thanks for all your hard work on this.

    I guess it's hard to say too much about the 15/16 figures - because there is so little change from the previous season. All we can really say is that the move of the CL contract hasn't had any major knock-on impact on PL ratings - implying it didn't have any significant impact on subscription decisions.

    That said, BT did achieve 3% PL ratings growth - and growth is growth - it is moving in the right direction even if the increase is very modest.

    I won't repeat previous posts on BT's financials but my overall view is that BT's financial results are much better than we might have expected given the very modest ratings growth.

    Anyway, on to next season - and I think the broad expectation would be that the move to the Sat 5.30pm slot should give BT something of a boost - though, as you state, they will lose from no longer having the Bank Holidays (albeit that they are only two rounds).

    Weekend pick quality is broadly unchanged - 1st pick in "positions" 19 to 27 is about the same as 1st pick in "positions" 21 to 33, given that there are no head to heads in a few weeks (although conscious definition of head to head may change). BT loses the 1st pick on BHs - though down to luck as to what that delivers in any one season.
Sign In or Register to comment.