Key dates and broadcast details for the 2026/27 Premier League season.
Season start and reason for delay
The 2026/27 Premier League season begins on Saturday 22 August 2026. The later kick-off—one week later than the 2025/26 season—allows extra recovery time following the 2026 World Cup. That start date is 89 days after the 2025/26 campaign ended and 33 days after the World Cup final on 19 July.
Season finale and TV coverage
The final round of fixtures will be played on Sunday 30 May 2027, with all 10 matches kicking off simultaneously and shown live on Sky Sports. That final weekend falls one week before the 2027 Champions League final.
Fixture release
The full 2026/27 Premier League fixture list will be published on Friday 19 June at 10:00 BST. While previous seasons have seen an opening match on the Friday of the first weekend, the detailed TV selections and final scheduling will be announced after the fixtures are released.
Christmas and midweek scheduling
The season will include 33 weekend rounds and five midweek rounds. Because 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, fans should expect a fuller Boxing Day schedule than in seasons when fewer top-flight matches were shown. The league has confirmed that over the Christmas and New Year period no two match rounds will be scheduled within 60 hours of each other to ease congestion in the expanded international calendar.
Live TV allocation
Under its current four-year deal Sky Sports will broadcast a minimum of 215 live Premier League matches per season, as in 2025/26. Sky retains first pick of fixtures each week and will continue to televise multiple Sunday 2pm games on certain weekends. Fans can watch live Sky matches via the Sky Sports app; those without Sky can access coverage through Sky Sports subscriptions or contract-free streaming options such as NOW TV.
Promoted and relegated teams
Coventry City, managed by Frank Lampard, were crowned Championship champions and promoted alongside Ipswich Town, who finished second. The third Premier League place will be decided by the Championship play-off final between Hull City and Middlesbrough. Burnley and Wolves were relegated from the Premier League in 2025/26; the third relegation spot is being contested among the remaining bottom teams.
Transfer window and domestic cups
The summer transfer window opens on Monday 15 June and closes on Monday 31 August—nine days after the new season begins—with the exact closing time to be confirmed. The Carabao Cup begins for EFL clubs on the weekend of 7–9 August; dates for later rounds are yet to be fixed. FA Cup scheduling is also pending, though the competition’s third round traditionally takes place in early January.
European competitions
Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa have qualified for the Champions League group stage, with the fifth English spot still to be decided. Thanks to England’s UEFA coefficient, all five clubs will enter directly into the group phase and avoid July/August qualifying rounds. The Champions League group stage runs from 8–10 September through to 27 January 2027. The Europa League group stage begins on 16–17 September and the Europa Conference League group stage on 15 October. Final allocations for European places will be confirmed once the 2025/26 Premier League season finishes.
Club World Cup
There is no Club World Cup scheduled to interfere with the domestic season this summer—the focus is the 2026 World Cup. An expanded 32-team Club World Cup was held in 2025 and will take place every four years; hosts for the 2029 edition have not been confirmed, with Mexico and Morocco among those reportedly interested.
What to expect next
Fixture publication on 19 June will confirm exact match dates, kick-off times and TV selections. Keep an eye on broadcaster announcements for live game picks, and check club and competition websites for updates to cup and European schedules as they are confirmed.