The increase in live TV football broadcasting in the UK is providing Premier League clubs with essential revenue, but are match-going supporters paying the price?

Following Everton’s move to their new Hill Dickinson Stadium, the issue regarding the growing disconnect between us fans and the club is more apparent than ever, with the main issue being matchday rescheduling.

TV — the Revenue Generator

The Premier League product enables its clubs to generate a significant financial advantage over European rivals. Between 2014 and 2024, Premier League teams have benefited from a £3B growth in television revenues. For comparison, the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A, grew by £5.1B combined.

Broadcasting deals allow teams to invest and expand their worldwide status, with TV income helping Everton to fund Hill Dickinson Stadium as well as transfer fees and players' wages.

However, as a result, more fixtures than ever before are now frequently rescheduled for television coverage in the UK – often at the expense of us fans. So much so that approximately 270 of 380 Premier League games are being broadcast live this season — up from 200 in recent years before the current domestic TV deal came into effect this season.

What happened to 3 pm on Saturday?

Incredibly, there have been just three games that have kicked off on Saturday at 3 pm in Hill Dickinson Stadium this season, a slot that remains a blackout for live televised coverage in the UK. Instead, plenty of fixtures have been rescheduled to evenings, forcing Evertonians into late-night midweek travel.

Monday night’s fixture with Manchester City is the seventh time Everton have played in that timeslot this season. No Premier League team has done so more often. Many of us are left to feel neglected and detached, as Everton have a limited say over fixture rescheduling.

The final verdict typically lies with the Premier League and major broadcasters, who receive primary choice due to funding. These companies will then move fixtures to maximise their viewership.

The danger of alienating match-going fans

The consequences of rescheduling for us match-goers include reduced stadium atmosphere and travel difficulties, with logistical issues, such as rising costs and timing, collectively reducing accessibility.

Many of us may travel from afar, planning a perfect weekend of football and booking travel and accommodation, all for the fixture to be rescheduled for the sake of television coverage.

Ultimately, this risks damaging the connection between the fans and the club, which may discourage future attendance, reducing the historical matchday culture that has defined Everton for generations.

Perhaps the collective fan frustration stems from the idea that we don’t see an instant benefit from fixture rescheduling. Instead, the progressively increasing revenue from TV broadcasting through so-called Facility Fees provides clubs with essential income to turn potential plans into action over the long term.

More sanitised atmospheres in stadiums and empty seats would undermine the product broadcasters are hoping to sell, as the popularity of Premier League football is rooted in us, the passionate fans.

Due to the institutional advantage of live broadcasting, we are likely to be secondary to TV coverage for the foreseeable future.

Whilst we fans are being pushed out, clubs also risk losing their identity to broadcasters, Everton included.

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I’d just like to post a short word of welcome to Calum, who is the latest addition to our cadre of freelance writers at ToffeeWeb. I’ll let Calum tell us more about himself as he sees fit in the discussion of this important topic, which he and many Everton fans feel increasingly annoyed about.

It’s something that has been picked up by the Everton Fan Advisory Board, who voiced a strongly worded statement condemning the footballing authorities for their clear disregard of fans’ wishes at the end of March, when the change to this weekend’s Manchester City fixture was announced.

That prompted an earlier discussion of these issues here on ToffeeWeb, and clearly it’s an ongoing concern that is not going away anytime soon. And if we were to somehow qualify for European football next season (kinda impossible at this point, I suspect), it would only get worse for Everton, with a lot more fixtures rescheduled away from the traditional 3 pm Saturday afternoon timeslot — and every one of them getting the live TV treatment in the UK.

Mike Hayes 2 Posted 03/05/2026 at 09:37:51

Gone are the days of going to the box office and picking up tickets for the next match and being asked where you want to sit. With the ballot you can’t (as far as I know) order more than one ticket so can’t take my son/s or get one for a friend/s to go and what’s the guarantee of getting said ticket. A few friends who are STH say there’s always seats available but they could be those who are ill or have prior engagements they couldn’t get out of. I know we have to move on but tech isn’t that good to keep fans away who can only make the occasional matches due to other commitments 🤷

3 Posted 03/05/2026 at 09:50:35

I agree with most of what is said in the article and Michael and Mike's comments. Living down in the south of England I get to see very few live games these days for various reasons but can fully understand our home and away match going supporters frustrations etc.

However, it's easy to focus on match-going fans who it's fair to say after the life blood of the club but not everyone has the option to attend regularly. Ticket prices, distance, work, or family commitments mean many supporters rely on TV to follow their club. More live games simply make football more accessible to those people.

For some, evening or varied kick off times are actually more convenient than a fixed Saturday afternoon slot. There’s also a sense that the game has outgrown its local roots and now serves a global audience. That doesn’t remove the issues for regular attendees, but it does show that not all fans are losing out in the same way.

Perhaps not a popular view, just an alternative.

For the record, I would prefer the traditional 3pm kick off. The early FA Cup rounds with games spread out over about 5 days clearly shows TV and the FA don't much care about the match going fans.

I can see a future when some fans turn their back on the mainstream game and turn to lower leagues or non-league matches...