Premier Leagues Boxing Day Break in 2025 Sparks Tradition Concerns

For the first time, no Premier League matches are scheduled on Boxing Day 2025. With December 26 falling on a Friday, fixture congestion and broadcast rules have pushed matches to December 27. However, some games might still move to Boxing Day based on broadcaster selections, with final decisions expected by October 15.

When the Premier League unveiled its fixture list for the 2025–26 season, fans were quick to notice the glaring absence of any Boxing Day matches. This marks the first time in the league’s history that no fixtures are scheduled for December 26, a break from a beloved tradition. Since the 1960s, when Christmas Day matches were phased out, Boxing Day has become a festive football staple in England. Families routinely flock to stadiums, and broadcasters treat it as a major event.

So why the change? It’s mostly down to calendar quirks and broadcasting logistics. This year, December 26 falls on a Friday, which complicates scheduling under the Premier League’s format of 33 weekend and 5 midweek rounds. With a mandatory 48-hour rest period between games, holding matches on a Friday would squeeze the calendar too tightly. As a result, Round 18 fixtures have been officially listed for December 27.

However, the Premier League has not completely shut the door. Some games might still shift to December 26 for broadcast purposes, with decisions expected by October 15. Sky Sports and TNT Sports now hold exclusive domestic rights and will decide on any changes. Despite this hiccup, the Boxing Day tradition looks set to survive, just in a slightly altered form.