The 20 cash-hungry Premier League clubs have never limited themselves when it comes to the ambitions they have for their competition and, from 2019, they will pit their popularity against Britain’s biggest entertainment shows: Saturday night’s Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor.

The latest television rights tender, as revealed by The Daily Telegraph, includes eight Saturday night games kicking off at 7.45pm in a push by the league to offer more games in a new slot to its domestic rights partners, currently Sky Sports and BT Sport. The Premier League believes it can sell, at a premium, games that will go up against the nation’s favourite shows.

For the match-going fans travelling long distances to watch their team, Saturday night games are likely to serve up the usual public transport nightmare. In that respect, they look likely to be even more unpopular than the Friday night games, which will also be continued.

There are also two packages which offer a total of four full midweek and Bank Holiday Premier League programmes during the season, all to be broadcast simultaneously, with the viewers interactively taking their pick. For British television viewers, it is a chance for the first time to choose their team’s game rather than have it dictated to them by the schedulers.