Premier League Reveals Friday Night Football Plan Beginning in 2016-17
The Premier League will feature Friday night matches for the first time in its history starting in the 2016-17 season, according to the Daily Mail's Nick Harris, Jonny Singer and Jack Gaughan.
The league presented its new TV licensing deal on Friday, with a total of 168 matches available for broadcast. That presents a 14-match increase from the current format, largely thanks to fixtures being played on Friday night as well.
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Broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom are big business—the current deal is worth over £3 billion, and with an additional 14 matches available for the 2016-17 season, that price is expected to rise significantly.
In fact, Virgin Media can't believe broadcasters are paying such a premium for less than half of the total matches, as shared by the Associated Press' Rob Harris:
As reported by Rob Harris, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho called on the Football Association to consider Friday night matches earlier this season in an attempt to emulate the format currently used in Spain, Germany and France:
"If we played on Friday night, @ 7:45, it makes a difference to who? Less spectators ... I don't think so. It'd be a full house, the same. And for television? It wouldn't make a difference. If it was the only match on TV, the (audience) share would be fantastic.
Would it be good for Chelsea? Yes. Would it be good for English football? Yes.
"
The Premier League's offer to broadcasters will be distributed in seven different packages, and a single broadcaster can only purchase a maximum of five. Sky Sports has dominated the broadcasting rights since the league's inception and currently owns five deals as well, with the remaining matches shown on BT Sport.
The 3 p.m. slot on Saturday will once again not be up for auction, per Harris:
Most matches are still played in this slot, one the Premier League refuses to sell in order to ensure fans keep coming to the stadium instead of just watching the matches from home.
Opinions on the new league format are mixed. While managers like Mourinho are thrilled with the new slot, which could help Champions League teams by giving them an extra day to prepare, pundits like the Sunday Times' James Ducker see it as another cash-grab:
The deals currently on the table propose up to 10 matches on Friday night, and when combined with Champions League and Europa League football, it's possible there will be weeks with televised football featuring British teams every single day.
Foreign broadcasters will still be available to purchase and distribute all 380 Premier League matches once the bidding starts for those packages at a later date.
