Premier League Boxing Day schedule, where to watch: Why is the day after Christmas so important for EPL?

The Premier League will return for its annual tradition of games on Boxing Day, which will kick off the yearly batch of fixtures across the festive period.

England’s top flight is not the only league that plays during the holiday season, with the country’s lower leagues and Italy’s Serie A also in action in between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Premier League, though, takes center stage during this period and especially so on Boxing Day, a holiday that the league has long had a stronghold on.

Ahead of this year’s Boxing Day slate, here’s what you need to know about this season’s schedule and the long history of fixtures on this date.

Premier League Boxing Day schedule

All times U.S./Eastern

Thursday, Dec. 26
Manchester City vs. Everton, 7:30 a.m. (USA Network and Fubo)  
Southampton vs. West Ham United, 10 a.m. (Peacock)
Nottingham Forest vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 10 a.m. (Peacock)
Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa, 10 a.m. (USA Network  and Fubo)
Chelsea vs. Fulham, 10 a.m. (Peacock)
Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace, 10 a.m. (Peacock)
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Manchester United, 12:45 p.m. (USA Network and Fubo)
Liverpool vs. Leicester City, 3 p.m. (USA Network and Fubo)

Friday, Dec. 27
Brighton and Hove Albion vs. Brentford, 2:45 p.m. (Peacock)
Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town, 3:15 p.m. (USA Network and Fubo)

What is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day became a national holiday in the U.K. in 1871, annually celebrated the day after Christmas. The exact reasons for the creation of the holiday are unknown, though many believe the name came from the Victorian era practice of employers gifting employees with Christmas boxes on Dec. 26 and giving them the day off.

History of English soccer on Boxing Day

England’s top leagues have scheduled games on Boxing Day since 1888, when the Football League was created. For the first six or seven decades, a full round of fixtures were scheduled on both Christmas and Boxing Day and teams played on back-to-back days. The hope was to drive up attendance figures, since many people used the two-day holiday break as an excuse to leave their homes and gather outside.

The last English league match on Christmas took place in 1965, when Blackburn Rovers won 4-2 at Blackpool, as more people began to celebrate the holiday at home. Boxing Day remained a popular date for games, though, and continues to be one of the biggest days on the soccer calendar. This year, the Championship and League One will also play nearly a full schedule on Boxing Day (you can watch the matches on Paramount+, or check out the Golazo Show on CBS Sports Golazo Network to follow all the action in one place), while non-league teams will also play on Dec. 26. Elsewhere around Europe, Rangers’ trip to St. Mirren (12:45 p.m., CBS Sports Network) headlines Scottish Premiership action and Belgium’s Pro League will also be in action.

The Premier League now opts to regularly spread out a full round of fixtures over a few days, and this year has allocated two games for Friday, Dec. 27. Most of the games on Matchweek 18 will take place on Boxing Day, though.