First live Prem Lge TV games announced
- adamhigginsuk
- Jul 14, 2014
- 5 min read
Popularity contest: 49 of the 50 most-watched live Premier League games last season were broadcast by Sky Sports (Picture from TV Newsroom.com)
THE Premier League TV schedule until the end of November has been revealed after Sky Sports and BT Sport announced their live picks.
For the second season running, the Premier League campaign will start live on BT Sport as Manchester United host Swansea at 12:45 BST on Saturday, 16 August, with Louis van Gaal in charge at Old Trafford for the first time.
Sky will show all of last season's top four on the opening weekend, selecting Arsenal v Crystal Palace for the first Saturday Night Football, while Liverpool against Southampton and champions Manchester City away to Newcastle will be involved on Super Sunday.
Newly-promoted Burnley at home to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea will feature on the first Monday Night Football on 18 August.
Everton's first two home games against Arsenal and Chelsea, Leicester's first live match on 31 August and a Monday night showdown between Manchester City and Liverpool in the second week of the season will also be broadcast on Sky.
Manchester City's showdown with Chelsea and the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham at the Emirates are Sky's stand-out September fixtures with Chelsea's heavyweight battles with Arsenal and Manchester United to follow in October.
van Gaal's Manchester United will be televised on Sky on seven occasions including tough tests against London giants Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on 2 November.
All but one of BT Sport's 12 games will be shown in the traditional Saturday lunchtime slot with Manchester United taking on Everton on Sunday, 5 October at mid-day.
Burnley's second home match against 2012-13 champions United will be live on BT, who will also show Arsenal v Manchester City and the Merseyside derby at Anfield during September as well as Manchester City v Tottenham in October and Liverpool against Chelsea in November.
Sky, who will screen 116 live Premier League games in 2014-15, have 20 first picks while BT, who have the rights to show 38 games, have 18 first choice matches.
With coverage presented by Jake Humphrey and a team of pundits including Blues boss Mourinho, BT Sport are embarking on a second Premier League season since buying the rights from ESPN after a largely successful debut campaign.
On their selections, head of BT Sport Simon Green said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have secured some superb matches for the start of the 2014-15 season. On the opening day of the season, all eyes will be on Louis van Gaal, fresh from Holland’s World Cup efforts, and the start of his tenure with Manchester United."
Sky, whose unrivalled coverage is fronted by Ed Chamberlain and David Jones, will show 43 live fixtures in the first four months of the campaign including at least three each weekend.
All of last season's top four will be shown at least six times, with all 20 clubs screened at least three times.
Managing director Barney Francis said: "49 out of 50 of the most popular Premier League games were shown on Sky Sports last season and a quick look at our opening schedule of fixtures shows Sky Sports is still the place to go for more of the games that matter.
"With more football than ever before, including the launch of our fantastic new European football channel Sky Sports 5, our customers have never had such an unrivalled choice of football.
"And for the first time, we're inviting every Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and UPC household to enjoy all seven Sky Sports channels free for the opening day of the season."
Sky will also launch Sky Sports 5 in August, as a new home for their European football broadcasts including European Championship qualifiers, Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia and Eredivisie.
FULL LIVE TV SELECTIONS:
August:
Manchester United v Swansea - Saturday 16, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Saturday 16, 5:30pm (Sky)
Liverpool v Southampton - Sunday 17, 1:30pm (Sky)
Newcastle United v Manchester City - Sunday 17, 4pm (Sky)
Burnley v Chelsea - Monday 18, 8pm (Sky)
Aston Villa v Newcastle - Saturday 23, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Everton v Arsenal - Saturday 23, 5:30pm (Sky)
Hull City v Stoke City - Sunday 24, 1:30pm (Sky)
Sunderland v Manchester United - Sunday 24, 4pm (Sky)
Manchester City v Liverpool - Monday 25, 8pm (Sky)
Burnley v Manchester United - Saturday 30, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Everton v Chelsea - Saturday 30, 5:30pm (Sky)
Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool - Sunday 31, 1:30pm (Sky)
Leicester City v Arsenal - Sunday 31, 4pm (Sky)
September:
Arsenal v Manchester City - Saturday 13, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Liverpool v Aston Villa - Saturday 13, 5:30pm (Sky)
Manchester United v Queens Park Rangers - Sunday 14, 4pm (Sky)
Hull City v West Ham United - Monday 15, 8pm (Sky)
Queens Park Rangers v Stoke - Saturday 20, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
West Ham United v Liverpool - Saturday 20, 5:30pm (Sky)
Leicester City v Manchester United - Sunday 21, 1:30pm (Sky)
Manchester City v Chelsea - Sunday 21, 4pm (Sky)
Liverpool v Everton - Saturday 27, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur - Saturday 27, 5:30pm (Sky)
West Bromwich Albion v Burnley - Sunday 28, 4pm (Sky)
Stoke City v Newcastle United - Monday 29, 8pm (Sky)
October:
Aston Villa v Manchester City - Saturday 4, 5:30pm (Sky)
Manchester United v Everton - Sunday 5, 12pm (BT Sport)
Chelsea v Arsenal - Sunday 5, 2:05pm (Sky)
West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers - Sunday 5, 4:15pm (Sky)
Manchester City v Tottenham - Saturday 18, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool - Sunday 19, 1:30pm (Sky)
Stoke City v Swansea City - Sunday 19, 4pm (Sky)
West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United - Monday 20, 8pm (Sky)
West Ham v Manchester City - Saturday 25, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Swansea City v Leicester City - Saturday 25 5:30pm (Sky)
Burnley v Everton - Sunday 26, 1:30pm (Sky)
Manchester United v Chelsea Sunday 26, 4pm (Sky)
Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa - Monday 27, 8pm (Sky)
November:
Newcastle v Liverpool - Saturday 1, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Manchester City v Manchester United - Sunday 2, 1:30pm (Sky)
Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Sunday 2, 4pm (Sky)
Crystal Palace v Sunderland - Monday 3, 8pm (Sky)
Liverpool v Chelsea - Saturday 8, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Queens Park Rangers v Manchester City - Saturday 8, 5:30pm (Sky)
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United - Sunday 9, 1:30pm (Sky)
Swansea City v Arsenal - Sunday 9, 4pm (Sky)
Arsenal v Manchester United - Saturday 22, 5:30pm (Sky)
Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Sunday 23, 1:30pm (Sky)
Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur - Sunday 23, 4pm (Sky)
Aston Villa v Southampton - Monday 24, 8pm (Sky)
West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal - Saturday 29, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Sunderland v Chelsea - Saturday 29, 5:30pm (Sky)
Southampton v Manchester City - Sunday 30, 1:30pm (Sky)
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton - Sunday 30, 4pm (Sky)
Last updated: 14 July 2014 15:42pm
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