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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Mark Jones

Why isn't Arsenal vs Man City on Sky Sports or BT Sport? Live TV coverage explained

It is the game that could go a long way towards determining the fate of the Premier League title, but it won't be seen on either of the division's two most frequent live broadcasters in the UK.

Arsenal welcome Manchester City to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening, with the Gunners now sitting just three points above Pep Guardiola's reigning champions following the weekend's results.

Indeed, a win for City would take them top of the table on goal difference, but unlike so many of the season's pivotal moments, whatever happens won't be screened live on either Sky Sports or BT Sport.

That's because the match will be screened live on Amazon Prime, who must be pinching themselves that they have secured what could end up being the blue riband game of this Premier League season amongst only 20 live matches they are permitted to show across the campaign.

Why 20? Well it is all to do with the packages that the Premier League sell rights to show live matches in.

There are 380 Premier League matches in a season, and of those 200 are broadcast live, with these matches split into seven packages that the broadcasters bid on.

Arsenal's clash with Man City could have a huge say in the title race (AFP via Getty Images)

For this season, the packages are as follows:

Package A: 32 matches to kick off at 12.30pm on Saturdays

Package B: 32 matches to kick off at 5.30pm on Saturdays

Package C: 32 matches, with eight kicking off at 7.45pm on Saturdays and 24 kicking off at 2pm on Sundays

Package D: 32 matches to kick off at 4.30pm on Sundays

Package E: 32 matches, with eight kicking off on Sundays at 2pm and 24 kicking off at either 8pm on a Monday or 7.30pm-8pm on a Friday

Package F: 20 matches, with 10 from one Bank Holiday weekend and 10 from one set of midweek fixtures

Package G: 20 matches, all from two different sets of midweek fixtures

Outside of interruptions due to the pandemic, ownership of these packages has been fairly stable for the last few seasons, with Sky Sports taking package B, C, D and E which makes up 128 games.

BT Sport have package A and G, meaning 52 live games, and then Amazon Prime have package F.

Amazon's set of midweek fixtures this season fell in mid-October, when they showed Manchester United's 2-0 win over Tottenham and Fulham's 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, the result that saw Steven Gerrard sacked, among their other live offerings.

Amazon Prime have so far shown 19 live Premier League games this season, with their second offering coming between 26-28 of December, including Aston Villa vs Liverpool (AFP via Getty Images)

But Arsenal's match against Manchester City scheduled for that week - a game Amazon were surely delighted to have, but one they wouldn't have thought would be a title decider - had to be called off to allow the Gunners the room to play PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League.

That match which was originally scheduled for Thursday September 16 but had to be called off as police needed the resources for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral the following Monday.

Arsenal's Europa League match against PSV Eindhoven had to be played on October 20 (PA)

It then had to be fitted in fairly quickly into the schedule in order to not jeopardise the rest of the Europa League group.

All of which means that a new spot had to be found for City's visit to the Emirates.

And with Arsenal passing straight through to the last-16 of the Europa League and thereby skipping this week's last-32 round, and City not facing RB Leipzig in their Champions League last-16 tie until next week, this midweek opened up.

Amazon retain their rights from the original date, and so are allowed to show the game live. You can watch coverage here.

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