Whilst it is true that neither of those two teams have been shown in Package D, that package does not have fifth picks. If Southampton v Everton is Package G, then either Southampton v Chelsea isn't, or Sky won't be showing Southampton v Spurs on Boxing Day.

Ok so Arsenal 5th pick C in correct slot, with Stoke Watford D bumped to 12 as 4th pick, still does its job as quota filler.

Soton Chelsea isn't I think it's D, Eve W Ham C, Sun Ars A, CP Liv B or F, Stoke Swan E.

No reason for it to be a G?

The way the packages work means 5 weekends without a Package D game on Sunday at 1600

1 Are the remaining five weekends all used by Picks from G

2 Or can they just move a Package C pick and show it at 1600 ??

So far Weeks 4 6 and 12 have had just the one Sunday match and each time it is at 1600 and not 1330

I think slots do get moved if good reason, I believe last weekend of Nov, G gets 4pm slot and D is bumped to 12. Allowing Sky to quota fill a D game and sure it in a less prominent slot. If two packages are allowed a game at the same time i.e. D and G, Sky can choose which gets 4pm or it maybe the game with the higher pick. Sun 12 is then an overspill slot to mop up these clashes.

There are 28 package D games supposed to be Sun 4pm and 6 package G games which could also be Sun 4pm so 34 games to fit into 32 rounds (No Sun 4pm for EFL Cup Final) so there will be clashes.

I don't think C games need to move to 4pm as there are more than enough D and G games to fill the slot and rarely like the weekend in question there is a clash and either a D or a G is bumped to Noon.

We'll know by the end of the season if either Watford or Stoke never play in the 4pm slot on TV. Of course 1 is a min so they could both play in that slot and their game still be a D game at noon.

There are only 28 games in C so 5 weekends won't have a game, unless they use a G game but as discussed I tihink Sky manage their selections to ensure G games (all with big teams as no min quota) all get played in the most prominent 4pm slot. I think G games even take priority over D games as you have some weak D games due to quota.

I can imagine the conversation between the PL and Sky after BT slected the first 2 picks for the last weekend of Nov went something like this;

PL 'Package E now has choice to take 3rd pick, would you like to use this package for 3rd pick?'
Sky 'No'
PL 'Ok, only package G is left with 3rd pick games, you must use this to select the 3rd pick game'
Sky 'Ok, we select Soton v Everton'
PL 'Ok, for this package you have a choice of kick off times, Sunday 1:30/2:15pm or Sun 4/4:30pm, which time would you like?'
Sky '4/4:30pm please'
PL 'Oki, that's pick 3 complete, now pick 4, package E has the choice of selecting the 4th pick, would you like to use this package for 4th pick?'
Sky 'No'
PL 'Ok, package D must now select a 4th pick. What is your 4th pick game for package D?'
Sky 'Watford v Stoke'
PL 'Ok, package D is assigned Sunday 4/4:30 however as this slot is already taken by package G game the kick off will move to Sunday Noon'
PL 'Would you like to select an optional 5th pick for this round'
Sky 'Yes, package C, Ars v B'mouth'
PL 'Ok, kick off time for that slot is 2:15pm due to 4th pick game at Noon, your package G game is in the 4:30pm slot due to later start of package C game. That completes the UK TV selections for this round.'

As you've already noted, Sky do not have full control over when they use Package G. So it would stand to reason that they would look to get their fill of the big teams in Package G at the earliest opportunity.

Week 10 is an obvious Sky pass and BT pass giving Sky first pick in Package A and they took Sunderland v Arsenal. I think Sky then passed second pick and could have been fairly confident that BT would take Crystal Palace v Liverpool. Now BT could have also taken third pick but with BT having a double header in Week 11, Sky could have been confident of getting third pick in Package G which I think they used on Southampton v Chelsea.

However....


Watford v Stoke would be a very convenient Package D quota filler. Of course, it is very unlikely that both Southampton v Everton and Southampton v Chelsea are Package G games. It's worth noting that after Christmas there are only two more weekend big 6 head to heads featuring Chelsea (Arsenal (h) in Week 24 and Man Utd (a) in Week 33). So it's not completely out of the question that Sky would have used four of Chelsea's five picks in Package D.

As you say, if we don't see both of Stoke and Watford in the Sunday 16:00/16:30 slot it would suggest that their match in November is a Package D game. If Sky can sneak some quota fillers into the Sunday 12:00 slot they'll be delighted.

Finally, for what it's worth, I actually think West Ham v Southampton was a Package C game.

The EFL have just said today
TV games will be announced on Thursday at 10

Come on Premier League
How about a similar announcement ??.

I think last season the Christmas fixtures were announced around the 8th October so I assume an announcement for this year is pretty close.

Sky Sports EFL Xmas games


Monday Dec 26th 1945
Tuesday Dec 27th 1230 and 1500

Thursday Dec 29th 1945
Saturday Dec 31st 1730

Monday Jan 2nd 1500

This gives us a good idea of the PL schedule now

Also
Fri 2nd
Fri 9th
Fri 16th Dec
Will NOT have a PL game

And Qpr game Sunday Dec 18th TBA

So PL have not agreed the games on that day ???

I reckon the Boxing Day picks could be:

26 December - 17:30
27 December - 17:30 and 19:45
28 December - 19:45

I reckon there will be a Premier League game on Friday 30 December.

It's interesting that the kick off time of QPR v Aston Villa on Sunday 18 December is TBC. That implies it might not be 12 noon should there only be one Premier League game being shown on Sky that day. I find that really odd as that looks a nailed on five game weekend.

It's also worth remembering that last season Sky clashed a football league pick (Blackburn v Nottingham Forest) with a Premier League game (Leicester v Chelsea), so I wouldn't rule out Premier League games on one of:

Fri 2nd
Fri 9th
Fri 16th Dec

Fixtures will clash at some point, many would say an old firm derby and a manchester derby wouldnt be on at the same time, but it was,

Sky are only committed to 14 more Premier League games, than the EFL have, there will always be clashes

Yes but the clashes are unlikely to be on Fridays when they could pick Mondays instead.
Last season Leics v Chelsea was a Monday game

They can't pick the the Monday of Week 15 (there's a football league game anyway) as it's followed by a midweek round of games. Sky might pass that week for Package E, but it would be their last pass (in theory).

Hasn't there been a few occasions when games on a Sunday have clashed also, definitely the first halfs

I think now after reading posts above

There will be a clash as Sky are having their 10 in 10 days Promotion.

So just like last December there will be two games on same night

Yes, with twelve o'clock kick-offs - a bit different there, mind, because they don't clash for their entire duration, which would be the case on Fridays. Obviously they would try to avoid them (there'll presumably be an FA Cup match on the Beeb on 2nd December as well), but there are so many matches on television that occasionally they might have to do so.

So it's highly unlikely, but we certainly can't say there will definitely be NO Premier League matches on any given night based on the Football League schedule.

Hopefully today is announcement day

Don't hold your breath!

I think they were announced around the 8th last year which was a Thursday so I would have expected them to be released by now if following that timetable but I did read on Twitter earlier this week that the date this season might be the 12th which probably seems more likely now.

I bet Sky and BT are arguing over the games on Sunday 11th meaning less choice for BT on Tuesday 13th !!!

Interesting, how would they resolve that if Sky find the most interesting mid week games and ensure they pick those teams for the Sunday before what can BT do, surely BT have to accept they can take the 1st pick for Wed, but the 2nd pick can only be the best game featuring teams that didn't play the previous Sunday.

Can't see how that takes much time to discuss.