When does 2025-26 Premier League season begin? Start date, format
Liverpool will enter the season hoping to repeat as champions after outlasting Arsenal and Manchester City last season. The title holders have spent big to bolster their squad, parting with a reported €220 million to sign midfielder Florian Wirtz and striker Hugo Ekitiké. Arsenal will hope some improved consistency is the key to taking the next step, while Man City is banking on key midfielder Rodri's return from a torn ACL to carry them back to the top of the heap.
Chelsea is another club to watch, as the free-spending Blues used this summer to win the expanded Club World Cup. Manchester United, meanwhile, will simply be hoping for a more coherent, sturdy season after some big stumbles left their huge fanbase frustrated throughout the 2024-25 season.
Here's what to know about the 2025-26 Premier League season, including start date, format, and how to watch every game:
Premier League power rankings: Every team's odds to win 2025-26 championship
Premier League 2025-26: When does season start?
The 2025-26 Premier League season will begin with defending champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth on Friday, Aug. 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Anfield.
Saturday, Aug. 16 will feature five matches across the league, while three more will be played Sunday, Aug. 17. The first round of fixtures of the campaign will conclude with Leeds United hosting Everton on Monday, Aug. 18.
Premier League season format
For 2025-26, the Premier League has stuck to one of the most easy-to-understand formats in all of sports. There are 20 teams in the league, and a given team plays the other 19 once at home and once on the road. After everyone plays 38 games, the team with the most points (three for a win, one for a tie, zero for a loss) is crowned the champion. That's it!
It gets a little more complicated when the subject moves to qualifying for European club competitions or relegation. Currently, the top four earn places in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League, while fifth place qualifies for next season's Europa League.
However, that is subject to change. If one of the top five teams in the standings also win the FA Cup (a knockout tournament that involves teams from all levels of English soccer) or the EFL Cup (a separate knockout tournament for teams from the top four professional divisions), the sixth-place finisher in the league will get into European competition.
This year is a perfect example of how things can change. Last year's Europa League winner, Tottenham Hotspur, was granted a spot in this season's Champions League, while UEFA granted England an extra place due to its coefficient rating (essentially, a measure of which league is the strongest).
As such, there are six Premier League teams in this year's Champions League, which is the highest number of teams from one league to ever make it into what is widely seen as the world's strongest club competition.
As for relegation, that's more straightforward: If you finish in the bottom three, your team has to drop down into the second-tier Championship, which will send three teams up for the 2026-27 season.
How to watch Premier League 2025-26: TV channel, streaming
The entire Premier League schedule during the 2025-26 season will be available on the NBC family of networks.
While the exact broadcast schedule for the full season has not been settled, NBC will generally broadcast at least one game per weekend, while USA Network will usually carry two or more. The majority of the action throughout the season will be streamed on Peacock.
Watch the 2025-26 Premier League season on Peacock
USA TODAY Sports' 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!
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