Explained: Why there is no early kick-off in the Premier League on Saturday

The upcoming round of Premier League fixtures will start no earlier than 3pm on Saturday for the second weekend in a row. While there will be a 12.30pm kick-off on March 9 when Manchester United take on Everton at Old Trafford, why is there no lunchtime fixture this time out?

According to The Sun, TNT Sports are the holders of the 12.30pm slot on Saturday in the Premier League. The broadcaster will televise 52 live games this season, in either a lunchtime or midweek evening fixture. However, TNT has decided against using any of their games on this weekend's matches, meaning there is no 12.30pm match this Saturday in Gameweek 27.

In early December, the Premier League agreed a new record £6.7 billion ($8.5bn) UK TV rights deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports to broadcast up to 270 live matches a season. This new deal will come into play from the 2025/26 season and will last for four years.

While there is no 12.30pm match on Saturday, there are seven fixtures on that day, including Nottingham Forest versus Liverpool, Brentford against Chelsea, Newcastle United versus Wolves, and Luton Town against Aston Villa.