Late January can feel like a long haul, but the sporting calendar is doing its best to keep winter at bay. This weekend brings a genuinely stacked schedule across football, tennis, cricket, darts and golf, with early mornings, late finishes and plenty of moments that could shape seasons.
From Premier League clashes to Grand Slam finals, and from international cricket to the closing stages of major darts and snooker tournaments, this is the kind of weekend that rewards planning ahead.
Here is a guide to the biggest live sport on UK TV across Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Premier League and football headlines
Domestic football dominates Saturday and Sunday, with several fixtures that carry more than routine significance.
Chelsea v West Ham, 5.30pm Saturday, Sky Sports Main Event
This is one of the weekend’s standout fixtures. London derbies rarely lack edge, and with Chelsea still trying to impose consistency on their season, West Ham will sense an opportunity. These games often defy form, with intensity and momentum shifts playing as much of a role as tactics.
Liverpool v Newcastle United, 8pm Saturday, TNT Sports 1
A heavyweight evening kick-off that could have implications at both ends of the table. Newcastle’s recent performances suggest they are no longer intimidated by trips to Anfield, while Liverpool will want to impose authority under the lights.
Sunday adds further depth, with Manchester United v Fulham, Tottenham v Manchester City, and Aston Villa v Brentford among a packed afternoon of Premier League football. The weekend closes with Match of the Day on both Saturday and Sunday nights for those catching up.
Across Europe, there is also Hamburg v Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Club v Real Sociedad in La Liga, offering plenty for fans who like to keep an eye beyond the Premier League bubble.
Australian Open reaches its climax
Tennis fans are in for an early alarm clock, with the Australian Open delivering its two biggest matches of the tournament.
Women’s Final, 8am Saturday, TNT Sports 1
Men’s Final, 8.30am Sunday, TNT Sports 1
Melbourne’s hard courts often produce dramatic finales, and this year’s tournament has already delivered its share of momentum swings and physical battles. These finals are the sort of matches that define seasons and shape rivalries, making them must watch for anyone with even a passing interest in elite tennis.
For early risers, Friday also features the men’s semi finals, giving the full arc of the tournament for those following closely.
Cricket across continents
International cricket runs through the weekend, with several T20 internationals providing fast paced alternatives to longer format action.
Sri Lanka v England, Friday and Sunday, TNT Sports 1
England’s white ball calendar continues with a return fixture against Sri Lanka. These matches are often revealing, especially for squad depth and form ahead of larger tournaments. For England supporters, it is a chance to assess combinations and performances in conditions that test adaptability.
Elsewhere, India v New Zealand and South Africa v West Indies add to a busy T20 slate, making this a strong weekend for fans of short format cricket.
Darts, snooker and winter staples
The colder months traditionally belong to indoor sports, and this weekend is no exception.
The BDO Winmau World Masters runs across all three days on ITV4, while the German Masters in snooker continues on TNT Sports. These tournaments may not always grab mainstream headlines, but they remain fixtures of the winter sporting landscape, offering drama, upsets and long sessions of high level concentration.
For many viewers, these events provide the perfect background viewing, quietly compelling and surprisingly tense as matches edge towards their decisive frames or legs.
Golf, boxing and the wider sporting mix
Golf fans are well catered for, with the Bahrain Championship and the Farmers Insurance Open running across the weekend, alongside LPGA coverage on Sky Sports.
Saturday night should have featured boxing, with Adam Azim v Gustavo Lemos on BBC Two; however, the fight was postponed with both boxers injured in training.
Throw in rugby union, GAA, cycling and UFC in the early hours, and it becomes clear this is not a weekend for casual channel hopping.
Watching sport across devices
With so much live sport spread across Sky Sports, TNT Sports, BBC, Premier Sports and streaming platforms, many viewers will be watching across multiple screens and locations.
Whether it is early morning tennis, afternoon football, or late night boxing, flexibility matters. Using a trusted VPN can make it easier to stay connected across laptops, phones, tablets and smart TVs, especially when moving between rooms or relying on catch up and streaming apps.
LibertyShield VPN offers secure access across devices, with a 48 hour free trial that works well for a packed sporting weekend. It is a practical way to keep up with live sport without overcomplicating your setup.
A weekend built for sport
From Chelsea v West Ham and Liverpool v Newcastle, to Grand Slam tennis finals and England in T20 action, this is a weekend that feels designed for serious sports fans.
There is enough variety to dip in and out, and enough headline events to justify clearing the diary. If January needed a reminder that live sport still has the power to dominate a weekend, this schedule makes a convincing case.
Whether you are up at dawn for tennis or settling in for late night football, there is plenty here to keep winter evenings feeling a little shorter.