7.45 kick-offs have been something of a tradition in the Champions League over the last couple of decades
As of this season, however, they’re a thing of the past.
UEFA have implemented two different start times for games in the 2018/19 competition, making it easier for football fans to watch more televised matches than ever before.
Instead of every game being played simultaneously, this season’s group stages will see two matches a day start at 5:55pm UK time; the rest beginning at 8pm.
Tottenham’s game with Inter Milan in the San Siro on Tuesday will be one of the first two early kick-offs to be played in this season’s Champions League, taking place at the same time as PSV Eindhoven’s trip to Barcelona. The remaining six fixtures to be played that night – including Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain – all begin at 8pm.
The new kick-off times will remain in place for the next three seasons, with UEFA set to review the system at the end of the 2020-21 season.
While it will allow European-based fans to watch more televised games, it’s also hoped the new schedule will boost viewing figures from further afield. A kick-off of close to 6pm UK time will be at the more favourable time of 12:55am for supporters in Australia and some parts of Asia.
Although a move to earlier kick-offs may well increase global viewing figures on television, it’s unlikely to prove popular with match-going supporters.
