What's new in the 2019/20 Premier League season?

Of the 380 Premier League fixtures to be played out over the 2019-20 season, 200 will be televised – 32 more than last season as the total number of broadcast games rose from 168 to 200.

Of these fixtures, 128 will be shown by Sky Sports, 52 by BT Sport and 20 by Amazon – whose first foray into live football will see the tech giant broadcast 10 fixtures on Boxing Day and 10 on one bank holiday.

Amazon

It’s been a landmark 2019 for Amazon. Far from the Jeff Bezos behemoth suffering a quarter life crisis in its 25^th​year, the internet company has shown no signs of wanting to quit its job, get (more) tattoos, and go backpacking in south-east Asia.

In scooping rights to 20 Premier League games, Amazon has sent digital shockwaves across a contest traditionally dominated by Sky Sports and BT Sport. 

As reported by The Morning Advertiser​, Amazon Prime’s exclusive Premier League fixtures for the 2019-20 season will be made available to pubs and clubs via the ‘Amazon Premier League pass’.​

New fixtures

Next season will not only bring more televised fixtures than ever before, but eight match-ups that have never before been played in the Premier League – five of which involve Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United.

In the time it’s taken the Blades to return to the Premier League since relegation under Neil Warnock in 2007, Bournemouth, Brighton and Burnley have all made their Premier League bow. What’s more, Sheffield United have never faced Wolves or Leicester City in the Premier League.

Additionally, Burnley v Norwich, Aston Villa v Brighton and Brighton v Norwich will also be played in the Premier League for the first-time next season after play-off winners Villa and Championship winners Norwich won promotion last season.

Saturday night kick-offs

Along with new clashes and broadcasters, the coming season also heralds the introduction of eight fixtures kicking off at 7.45pm on Saturday to be broadcast by Sky Sports.

Double headers

After the watershed Women’s World Cup this summer – which saw 11.7m viewers tune in to watch Phil Neville’s Lionesses bow out at the semi-­final stage against eventual winners the United States - The Football Association has con­firmed some Women’s Super League (WSL) matches will be played as double headers alongside Premier League fixtures next season.

Is this an opportunity for match-day pubs to encourage fans to start their visit earlier, or will it encourage them to cut their pub stint short to head to the stadium for a WSL fixture before a Premier League kick off?

Mid-season break

After an agreement between The Football Association, the Premier League and the EFL (English Football League), the 2019-20 campaign will be the first to feature a mid-season players’ break.

It means one round of fixtures in February will be split over two weekends – with five matches taking place over the weekend of 8 February 2020 and five taking place during the following weekend.

Video assistant referee

Saving the best until last? The divisive technology is set to be used in the Premier League for the first time this season.

The gradual spread of the video assistant referee (VAR) system throughout world football since the 2018 Russia World Cup has evoked an angry response from football’s purists who argue it’s too disruptive; compromises the experience of match-going fans; and can’t stand the sight of dismayed players drawing the outline of a TV with their fingers.

Will more, VAR-induced, suspense add a new element to pub atmosphere during Premier League fixtures?