In a business where contracts are often being renewed, signed or terminated, sometimes it is difficult for the traditional football fan to follow which broadcasters have live televised matches and highlight packages.
At Total Football, we want to make it easier for fans to know what competitions are based where for the 2012-13 season and as you can see, the main prized assets remain through satellite TV.
Wealth of choice on Sky Sports
Since acquiring the live rights for Premier League football in its inception in 1992, Sky Sports has been the domineering leader for mainstream action in the UK.
As ever, the most envied league in the world will be at the forefront of their coverage, this season with another 115 matches from the Barclays Premier League exclusively live and all in high definition too.
Sky also will show every Wednesday night match from the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and will focus on every single club in the competition until the final which is back at Wembley Stadium in 2013.
In a reduced money deal, the channel is once again the exclusive home for the Npower Football League with 75 live matches from the Championship, League One and League Two, plus coverage of the dramatic and tense playoff matches.
As part of the new agreement, Sky will also be the only home where supporters can watch live games from the newly named Capital One Cup (formerly the Carling Cup), including the final.
Scottish football is still on the channel, with 30 games due to be shown from the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League. This deal is slightly in doubt though, with the corporation threatening a few weeks ago to pull the plug on their contract if the SPL clubs refused Newco Rangers into the top division, which has now happened.
Add in Spanish football, Irish coverage and women’s action, there is something for everyone’s taste on Sky Sports.
Live football on Sky
• 115 live and exclusive matches from the Barclays Premier League.
• The UEFA Champions League, including every Wednesday night match from the group stage all the way to the Wembley final.
• Live matches from La Liga and the Copa del Rey, featuring Barcelona and Real Madrid.
• 75 live matches from the Football League, plus exclusive coverage of the playoffs.
• Exclusive live coverage from every round of the newly named Capital One Cup, including the final at Wembley Stadium.
• World Cup 2014 qualifiers; featuring England’s away games, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
• Exclusive coverage of the Johnstones Paint Trophy, along with the final.
• The Scottish FA Cup, one game per round and the final.
• 5 live games a season from the Carling Irish Premiership, featuring Glentoran and Linfield.
• The Women’s FA Cup final.
Live terrestrial action belongs to ITV
Although their live football coverage has often been criticised in the past, ITV is the place to be if fans want to stick to just live terrestrial action.
In a new deal with UEFA, ITV will have first pick of every single Tuesday match from the Champions League and share the final coverage with Sky Sports. Both channels will also show the UEFA Super Cup final from Monaco on August 31 between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.
To increase their European portfolio, ITV is now the prime place for the UEFA Europa League. Tottenham, Newcastle and Liverpool fans will be gearing up for hopefully a successful run to the final, with two games live every matchday, one semi-final and the final.
ITV is also still the home to the FA Cup and England matches. The channel will show one game live from the FA Cup in rounds one and two, then will have first pick from round three onwards, one semi-final and the final from Wembley.
Regarding England, ITV will show live coverage of Roy Hodgson’s home qualifiers for Brazil 2014 and although a deal isn’t in place yet, is expected to provide extended highlights of the away qualifiers. Home and away friendly internationals are also exclusive to the station.
Plus, there will be action from the FA Youth Cup and exclusive coverage of the FA Community Shield final from Villa Park, involving Chelsea and Manchester City.
Live football on ITV
• A first pick match from every Tuesday night of the UEFA Champions League and shared coverage of the final.
• Approximately 16 live matches from the 2012/13 FA Cup with Budweiser, including replays and the final from Wembley Stadium.
• Live coverage of England’s home World Cup 2014 qualifiers, which this season, features games with Ukraine and San Marino. Home and away friendly internationals will also be given the live treatment.
• Two live matches every matchday from the UEFA Europa League, one semi-final and the final.
• Six live games from the FA Youth Cup, including both semi-finals and the final, along with exclusive coverage of the FA Community Shield final between Chelsea and Manchester City.
• The UEFA Super Cup final from Monaco involving Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.
ESPN go all European
ESPN suffered a hammer blow to their subscription packages with the recent news that they will lose their Premier League deal to BT from the 2013/14 season.
However, they still have one more season of live action from the Premier League and another 23 games will be shown, including Manchester United v Tottenham and Chelsea’s home clash with Newcastle.
25 live matches will be shown from the FA Cup, including exclusive coverage of one semi-final and shared coverage of the final with ITV.
The channel will also show one live match per week at the minimum from the UEFA Europa League group stages and knockout rounds.
If the football fan likes a broad output of European football, ESPN has all the bases covered.
Live action and match repeats from the German Bundesliga, Serie A, the Russian Premier League and the Dutch Eredevisie. From a more world view, there is also live action from Brazil and the MLS in America, where David Beckham and Thierry Henry now play their club football.
Live football on ESPN
• 23 live matches from the Barclays Premier League and the first for showing Premier League goals, through the ESPN goals app on all the leading smartphones.
• 80 live matches from Serie A in Italy and the Coppa Italia.
• 25 live games from the 2012/13 FA Cup with Budweiser, including one exclusive semi-final and shared coverage of the final.
• One match per week at the minimum from the group stages and knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League.
• Two live games per week from the Russian League and the Dutch Eredevisie.
• German Cup football and live German Bundesliga, the MLS playoffs and Brazilian football.
• Live coverage of the inaugural women’s super league.
Thin pickings for the rest
ITV’s more expansive deal for the UEFA Europa League is grim news for Channel 5, who has no plans to show live football this season at this time.
The BBC also has no live coverage this season, apart from the football tournament at the 2012 London Olympics.
However, Gary Lineker and co will still be seen regularly with Match of the Day, MOTD2 moving to BBC One, Football Focus and Final Score. Despite losing live rights, the BBC signed a three-year deal in May to retain Football League and Capital One Cup highlights.
British Eurosport has won exclusive rights to the 2013 African Cup of Nations and the J League in Japan, whilst Premier Sports remains the home of the Blue Square Bet Premier League or the Football League Conference as it is known to many.
Lastly, fans of Chelsea TV, LFCTV and MUTV will not miss any action from their reserve and academy teams.
Other football deals
• Live coverage from the football tournament at the 2012 Olympics – BBC
• Highlights from the Premier League, Football League and Capital One Cup – BBC
• Live coverage of the 2013 African Cup of Nations – British Eurosport
• Live coverage of the Japanese J League – British Eurosport
• 30 live matches from the Blue Square Premier League – Premier Sports
If you are a football fan who is craving for live action very soon, the Olympics aren’t far away and nor are the new domestic seasons. In 2012/13, you really are spoilt for choice.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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