© Alamy
Posted on 25th October 2023
Arranging tickets, travel and accommodation for games is a major challenge for supporters, particularly under the current TV contract regime. We all know broadcasters call the shots and hundreds of games are moved for broadcast every season.
Sometimes information on when games are due to be selected or not for TV is unclear and fans still ask us about that regularly. Read on for a brief summary of each league’s TV game process.
Premier League
Previously the Premier League used to select its TV games in large batches four or five times a season, these would normally cover multiple fixture rounds over one or two months, and have a nominal deadline which the league produced at the start of a season.
However, that system was fraught with difficulties as broadcasters, clubs and police squabbled over kick-off times leading to those deadlines being routinely missed.
Subsequently, the Premier League switched to a rolling six week system at the start of the 2023-24 season. If a game is more than six weeks away, don’t book your travel just yet as there’s a good chance it could be moved for TV.
The league says this will come down to a five week notice period in January.
If a game is less than six weeks away and TV selections for that round have already been announced, you’re generally safe to book the travel and accommodation for the game – but always be aware of conditional picks. More on those here.
If in doubt, the best place to check is the Premier League’s broadcast section on its website here.
EFL
In the EFL, supporters are generally given five weeks’ notice and four weeks notice from March. Then down to three weeks’ notice for the EFL’s penultimate round.
Unlike the Premier League, the EFL has kept up a timetable of when it expects TV selections to be made through the season, those deadlines are below:
| MATCH DATES | ANNOUNCED BY DATE |
| 12-19 August | 8 July |
| 26 August – 20 September | 21 July |
| 23 September – 7 October | 18 August |
| 21 October – 11 November | 15 September |
| 25 November – 13 December | 21 October |
| 16 December – 1 January | 10 November |
| 13 January – 3 February | 8 December |
| 10 – 24 February | 5 January |
| 2 – 6 March | 2 February |
| 9 March | 9 February |
| 16 March | 16 February |
| 29 March – 1 April (Easter) | 1 March |
| 6 – 10 April | 8 March |
| 13 April | 15 March |
| 20 April | 28 March |
| 27 April | 5 April |
| 4 May | 29 April |
For its new TV deal starting 2024-25, the EFL says every game due to be broadcast before Christmas will be announced ahead of the new season kicking off.
National League
Broadcast notice periods will form part of our newly-established supporter engagement meetings with the National League to get the best agreement we can for fans. More information on that to come.
FA Women’s Super League
In April the FSA met with the FA and raised the impact that TV has on matchgoing supporters at WSL clubs with Sunday evening attendances dropping by around 50%.
At the time supporters were still waiting for TV picks scheduled to take place in three weeks time and the FA encouraged supporter groups to give feedback to clubs on a local level and to ask to be involved in decisions around fixture times.
The FA agreed to look at target dates to be shared around broadcast fixtures – we will be following them up on that commitment.
The trials of running online meetings and officers overstepping their authority were laid bare when the chaotic Handforth Parish Council meeting went viral at the weekend. Here the FSA’s training and governance manager Nicola Cave offers advice, and online resources, to supporter groups on hosting online meetings and standing orders…
England are back on the road this week as they head off to the principality of Andorra for their World Cup qualifying campaign – and the Free Lions Fans’ Embassy team will be on hand to help fans making the trip.
England are back on the road this coming weekend as their World Cup qualifying campaign continues – this time against the small nation state of San Marino.
Wales are heading out to Poland at the start of June for their UEFA Nations League campaign and FSA Cymru have another handy guide for those of you making the trip.
