Atos has been instrumental in organising the Premier League’s fixture schedule since the league’s inception in 1992. Over 34 seasons, Atos has facilitated scheduling for 13,166 matches involving 51 clubs. By blending advanced technology with human expertise, Atos ensures each fixture list meets competitive, operational and logistical demands.
The fixture scheduling process starts early in the year, spanning approximately six months. Initial schedules are generated using sophisticated systems, and then meticulously reviewed to adhere to the Premier League’s "Golden Rules." These guidelines encompass ensuring a mix of home and away matches, avoiding consecutive home or away games, and considering fixture arrangements around FA Cup ties. Critically, a club will not start or conclude a season with successive home or away matches.
Managing travel demands
The scheduling also addresses travel logistics, avoiding simultaneous home matches for local rivals, and easing travel during peak periods such as public holidays. Particularly during events like Boxing Day and New Year's Day, fan travel reduction is a priority, as minor adjustments can affect multiple fixtures. Atos’ experience is pivotal in managing these complexities.
This year’s scheduling has also considered the demands of the global football calendar
Glenn Thompson, Atos UK&I fixture-list compiler, remarked, “There are pinch points in the process where it can become stressful, culminating in several days in a room manually checking for any issues that may have cropped up. The whole process is complex involving many different data points. Ultimately you can't satisfy everyone and it's a compromise across all clubs without favouring any one club.”
Global football calendar
This year’s scheduling has also considered the demands of the global football calendar, prioritising player recovery and alignment with international competitions. Michael Herron, Head of Atos UK&I, highlighted the significance of this process: “For millions of fans, the release of the Premier League fixture list is when a new season really comes to life. We’re proud to support the Premier League and are looking forward to another exciting season ahead.”
With over 30 years of experience in international sporting events, Atos has a dedicated Sports and Major Events division. It partners with UEFA as the Official IT Partner for National Team Football since 2022, and recently became CONMEBOL’s Official Innovation Partner, extending its influence to South American football. Atos’ role in these global showcases underlines its capacity to deliver technological solutions tailored for various sporting events.
Atos, a global pioneer in AI powered digital transformation, has worked in close collaboration with the Premier League since its inception in 1992, scheduling the Premier League’s fixtures each season.
Across 34 Premier League seasons, Atos has supported the complex challenge of creating a balanced fixture list across a total of 13,166 matches involving 51 different clubs. Advanced technology is combined with deep human expertise to assess millions of possible scenarios, ensuring the final schedule is fair, competitive and compelling for clubs, fans and stakeholders alike.
AI powered digital transformation
The process begins at the start of the year and typically takes around six months. Sophisticated systems generate an initial schedule, which is then rigorously refined through expert oversight to meet the league’s strict sporting, operational and logistical requirements - following the League’s “Golden Rules”. These include:
- In any five matches there should be a split of three home fixtures, two away or the other way around.
- A team will never have more than two home or away matches in a row.
- Wherever possible, a team will be home and away around FA Cup ties.
- A club will never start or finish the season with two home or two away matches.
Managing travel demands
Alongside this are considerations around preventing local rivals from playing at home on the same day, accounting for policing capacity, and managing travel demands, particularly during peak periods such as public holidays or major national events, for example minimising travel for fans on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Even minor changes can have wide ranging consequences, often triggering adjustments across multiple fixtures. This is where Atos’ long standing experience is critical.
Fixture-list compiler Glenn Thompson, Atos UK&I, said: “There are pinch points in the process where it can become stressful, culminating in several days in a room manually checking for any issues that may have cropped up. The whole process is complex involving many different data points. Ultimately you can't satisfy everyone and it's a compromise across all clubs without favouring any one club.”
Global football calendar
This year’s fixture list has also been shaped against an increasingly demanding global football calendar, with a focus on player welfare, recovery time and alignment with international competitions.
Michael Herron, Head of Atos UK&I said, “For millions of fans, the release of the Premier League fixture list is when a new season really comes to life. We’re proud to support the Premier League and are looking forward to another exciting season ahead.”
Major global showcases
Atos has maintained a dedicated Sports and Major Events division for more than 30 years. This experience in delivering innovative solutions for the world’s most prestigious competitions enables Atos to provide the flexibility and technological excellence required for all types of events — from local tournaments to major global showcases.
Leading this commitment is its role as UEFA’s Official IT Partner for National Team Football since late 2022, as well as its long-standing relationship with many other sports international organisations. Most recently, Atos became CONMEBOL’s Official Innovation Partner, which will focus on South American football’s domestic-club competitions.
