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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Danny Bloomer

Why is Arsenal vs Man City not on Sky Sports or BT Sport? TV channel confirmed

Manchester City travel to Arsenal this evening in a huge Premier League title showdown at the Emirates.

City can move top of the table and above their opponents on goal difference with a win this evening but know defeat will leave them six points behind having played a game more. Neither side have been at their scintillating best in recent weeks with City losing two of their last five Premier League matches.

Arsenal are also currently in the midst of their first real blip of the season following a defeat at Everton and frustrating home draw with Brentford but know a win will leave them in a very strong position. Here is everything you need to know ahead of tonight's huge encounter.

READ MORE: 'I am ashamed of myself' - Guardiola apologises to Gerrard

When is Arsenal vs Man City?

The game is set to get underway at 7:30pm GMT after it's original date of October 19 was postponed due to a clash with Arsenal's rearranged Europa League group stage fixture with PSV following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

What TV channel is Arsenal vs Man City on?

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 is 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.

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 and 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 midweek set of matches fell in the middle of October but as a result of the aforementioned postponement, was rescheduled for this evening thanks to a free midweek for both sides.

Amazon retain their rights from the original date, and so are allowed to show the game live. You can watch coverage here, which gets underway an hour before kick-off.

You can sign up to Amazon Prime here.

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