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Sky Sports have resisted calls to shuffle the men’s fixture schedule on Sunday to allow fans to watch the Lionesses in the World Cup final.
Norwich host Millwall at Carrow Road in a noon kick-off on Sunday and both clubs were open to the prospect of moving the fixture back an hour so supporters could tune in.
However, meetings between clubs, the EFL and broadcasters led to various senior figures agreeing Sky commitments must be honoured.
The Championship fixture is the only major fixture guaranteed to clash directly with England’s 11am fixture against Spain which is being shown live on both BBC and ITV. However, moving the fixture would then impact on the Sky’s other scheduled fixtures for the day, which include Aston Villa against Everton kicking off at 2pm.
In contrast with men’s football, women’s leagues have made late fixture amendments for the weekend. Women’s National League clubs had initially agreed to begin the season on August 20, but there had been a backlash in recent days.
After a petition was launched to allow players to instead watch the World Cup, the FAWNL announced fixtures can be changed but only subject to the league’s approval.
As a result, MK Dons were among teams to announce their fixture, against Oxford, had been moved back to 3.30pm. “We would like to thank all supporters for their patience during this process, to ensure that we reached the most suitable outcome considering the preferences of the players, staff, and officials,” the club said.
“We would also like to thank the FAWNL and Oxford United for their support during this process, in allowing us the opportunity to pursue alternatives. “It has since been confirmed that the game will go ahead, as planned with a revised kick-off time of 3.30pm.”