Just 10 of the FA Cup's 32 third round ties will kick-off in the traditional 3pm slot on Saturday as a result of a new £820million overseas TV contract.
All 20 Premier League sides enter the competition at this stage, with Tottenham getting things underway away at League Two Tranmere on Friday night.
However, only four top-flight sides will be in action at 3pm on Saturday, with a host of fixtures being played early and late on the same day.
In total, seven matches - including Manchester United's game with Reading - will begin at 12.30pm on Saturday, with another five kicking off at 5.30pm that evening.
Arsenal travel north to face League One Blackpool in one of the late games, while Everton are one of the four Premier League clubs in action at 3pm when they host League Two leaders Lincoln at Goodison Park.
The FA's new overseas broadcast deal, which will net the governing body £820m across six years, is the main reason for the odd scheduling.
A further eight ties will be played on Sunday, with seven kicking off at 2pm and Leicester facing Newport County at 4.30pm.
The final third round match will takes place on Monday night when Liverpool travel to Wolves for a 7.45pm kick-off.
The schedule led to Football Supporters' Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke claiming the competition had lost its 'magic' last month.
Clarke said: 'There's a grave danger that they might threaten the magic of the FA Cup.
'The third round of the FA Cup on the first Saturday in January was always one of the great highlights of the season, and to have less than one third of the games kicking off at three o'clock on Saturday definitely to some extent diminishes the magic of the day.'
The FA defended the schedule despite widespread criticism from supporters.
A statement said: 'All televised FA Cup matches are scheduled in collaboration with the clubs, the local authorities and the police. A selection of the third-round fixtures have been picked for domestic and overseas television coverage, as part of the new international broadcast deal.
'The new deal, which began this season, will see more money than ever before reinvested back into English football and prize money doubled to over £30.2m, with a guaranteed £4m distributed to non-league clubs.
'In addition, the new deal will provide an increased level of investment into grassroots football pitches, facilities and participation programmes across England.'
Nathaner
35
No wonder the FA Cup is a dying competition. Football has been sold out to the the money men. It's the oldest cup completion in the world and was far better when all games were played at 3 PM on a Saturday and the final was the biggest single game in the football calendar. It's been devalued so much that they don't even play full strength teams. Now the FA pander to all the overseas viewers without any thought for the match going fans in this country (the real fans). Most fans that go to the games couldn't care less about the overseas mob, this is England and English football. The real fans that have to endure the hardships of ridiculous kick-off times when there are no trains running after the match are the ones that should come first.