Football on UK TV today – What to watch and why there's no 12.30pm Premier League game
Here's everything you need to know about the fixtures being screened live on UK TV today (Saturday, October 26), including kick-off times and channel information
by Harry Brent · The MirrorDomestic football is back following an exciting midweek of European action, and there's plenty for fans to sink their teeth into.
The season is now in full swing with teams starting to focus on building momentum as we round the corner towards the Christmas run-in. While there's plenty of football on TV today, the lack of a 12.30pm Premier League game has raised a few eyebrows.
Following last night's East Midlands derby between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest, there are five more Premier League matches taking place this afternoon, but that's not all. Three Championship games are also being televised, as are two each in League One and League Two.
Also, arguably the biggest fixture in European football is taking place this evening, but more on that later. Here, Mirror Football runs through all the details including which matches are on telly, how to watch them, and the reason behind the conspicuously absent early kick-off.
Why there's no 12.30pm Premier League game
The lunchtime kick-off has become a beloved staple of the Premier League calendar, but today, fans will have to wait until 3pm for top-flight football to begin. This, simply put, is because no games have been selected for TV.
Under the Premier League's current broadcast deal, TNT Sports has the 12.30pm slot every Saturday. The company, which holds the bulk of the rights to Champions League, Europa League and Conference League football in the UK, screens just 52 Premier League matches per season.
20 of those matches are screened during two rounds of midweek fixtures that TNT have secured, leaving them with just 32 picks left. As there are 36 more rounds of fixtures taking place across the season, TNT have been forced to leave four Saturdays blank, one of which is today.
Premier League matches on TV
Just one top-flight fixture is being shown on live TV in the UK today: Everton vs Fulham at Goodison Park. The 5.30pm kick-off will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event & Premier League.
The teams are in contrasting veins of form at the moment, with Sean Dyche's Toffees unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches, with two wins in their last three.
Fulham, meanwhile, made a bright start to the new campaign, losing just once in their opening six games. But back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Aston Villa have changed the mood around Craven Cottage and Marco Silva will be keen to bounce back with a victory.
If they do, they'll move above Tottenham and Newcastle and go level on points with Chelsea, though all three teams will have a game in hand. Everton, who started the weekend just two places above the drop-zone, will go level on points with Fulham with a win, and a winning margin of three goals or more will see them leapfrog their west London opponents.
Championship matches on TV
Leeds United vs Bristol City is arguably the pick of the televised games in the Championship. Daniel Farke's side, who are flying high in third, are desperate to make amends for last season's play-off final defeat to Southampton and get back to the big time, and they've started brightly, with six wins and just one defeat in their opening 11 games.
Meanwhile, the Robins, who have begun their 10th consecutive season in the second tier, have made a characteristically ordinary start to the campaign, with three wins, six draws and two defeats so far. They also have an awful record against Leeds, with just one win and 15 defeats in their last 18 meetings with the Whites in a run that stretches back to 2010.
Elsewhere, Coventry City vs Luton Town and Watford vs Blackburn have been selected for TV. Both Coventry and Luton have made poor starts to the season, with both sides suffering six defeats already this season. Meanwhile, just three points separate Watford and Blackburn, both of whom will be hoping to push for the play-offs this season.
League One matches on TV
In League One, Mansfield Town vs Birmingham City has been given the nod, as has Reading vs Bristol Rovers. Top of the table Birmingham will be hoping to extend their lead at the top following their blistering start to the campaign.
They began the weekend four points ahead of second-placed Wrexham with a game in hand, having won nine of their opening 11 games. Mansfield are hot on their tail though, and a win could move the Stags to within two points of Chris Davies' men.
Reading, who are seventh, have won four of their last five league outings, though Rovers are in similarly decent form, with three wins in their last four.
League Two matches on TV
As for League Two, the matches selected for TV are Colchester United vs Salford City and Morecambe vs Chesterfield. Danny Cowley's U's are on a frustrating run, having drawn six of their last nine matches.
A win would move them well clear of the relegation zone, though Salford, who are four points above them, will have a thing or two to say about that. Karl Robinson's side have lost three of their last six league games, but have picked up four points from their last two outings, and seven from their last four.
Meanwhile, bottom club Morecambe, who have just one win in 13 matches so far, will be desperate to turn the tide with a win against Paul Cook's side. But that will be easier said than done given that Chesterfield are unbeaten in their six league games.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona
The first El Clasico of the season takes place this evening with Real Madrid taking on Barcelona at the Bernabeu. The two Spanish giants are neck and neck at the top of La Liga, with just three points separating them.
Hansi Flick has made a lightning start to his Barcelona tenure, leading the Catalan club to nine wins in their opening 10 league matches, and a 4-1 thumping of Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night proved just how formidable they can be against top opposition.
Unlike Barcelona, Real Madrid are unbeaten in La Liga but haven't quite looked the slick, cohesive unit Flick's team have thus far. Kylian Mbappe's arrival has, to some degree, complicated matters in attacking areas, and some suspect the Frenchman is to blame for Jude Bellingham's slow start to the campaign.
But, as proven by their stunning comeback against Dortmund on Tuesday, Carlo Ancelotti's side is bulging with superstars capable of producing magic on a whim, no matter their opponents. Madrid will also be out for revenge after being beaten by Barca in a pre-season friendly back in August.
To catch the clash, you'll need a subscription to Premier Sports (formerly Viaplay Sports). You can sign up here.
Full TV line-up for fixtures on Saturday, October 26
- Everton v Fulham (5:30pm), Sky Sports Premier League
- Bristol City v Leeds United (12:30pm), Sky Sports+
- Coventry City v Luton Town (12:30pm), Sky Sports+
- Watford v Blackburn Rovers (12:30pm), Sky Sports+
- Mansfield Town v Birmingham City (12:30pm), Sky Sports+
- Reading v Bristol Rovers (12:30pm), Sky Sports+
- Colchester United v Salford City (12:30pm), Sky Sports+
- Morecambe v Chesterfield (12:30pm), Sky Sports+
- Real Madrid v Barcelona (8pm), Premier Sports
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