By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
As EURO 2016 drifts towards its conclusion, the dawn is
starting to rise on the 25th Premier League season. On Thursday
morning, British broadcasters Sky Sports and BT Sport announced their first
round of TV selections which covers off August and September.
This will be the biggest season of live football in the UK
for TV subscribers. Sky will be showing 126 live matches, whilst BT will
broadcast 42 games. This means over 33% of Premier League matches will now be
live over the course of a season.
In a change to previous seasons, Sky will now be
broadcasting the Saturday lunchtime game, whilst the Saturday evening slot heads
to BT. There will be regular Friday night games for the first time ever which
Sky has access to, alongside their traditional Sunday and Monday games.
Champions
kick-off
Premier League champions Leicester City will kick-off the
2016/2017 campaign on Saturday, 13 August as they travel to newly-promoted Hull
City for a 12.30pm kick-off, live on
Sky Sports.
BT’s opening gambit will be the first game of the Pep
Guardiola era at Manchester City. The Spaniard, who was officially unveiled to
the media on Friday, will welcome Sunderland to the Etihad Stadium for his
first baptism of Premier League entertainment. Kick-off time will be 5.30pm at Eastlands.
The opening double Super Sunday of the campaign pits two
potential title challengers against one another as Arsenal welcome Liverpool FC
to north London. Jurgen Klopp has just signed a new deal and is relishing his
first full season in the Anfield dugout. Can they stun the Gunners at the
Emirates on day one like West Ham did last season?
 |
| Sky viewers can see the opening two Jose Mourinho matches with Man United |
Before their meeting at 4pm
on Sunday, 14 August, Sky viewers will see Jose Mourinho (pictured) in action for the
first time as Manchester United manager at 1.30pm.
The proclaimed ‘Special One’ takes his Red Devils side to the south coast for a
tricky opener at AFC Bournemouth – a game United lost 2-1 last season.
Mourinho’s old club Chelsea are starting again with another
new boss and they round off the weekend. Antonio Conte is the new face at
Stamford Bridge and the tasty London derby with West Ham United completes the
first weekend at 8pm on Monday, 15
August. This is again on Sky Sports.
Tasty
fixtures
The first-ever Friday Night Football on a regular basis is
on the second weekend of the season as Mourinho’s home bow at Old Trafford sees
Southampton visit Manchester United on Friday, 19 August, starting at 8pm.
Sky will show 20 live Premier fixtures in the opening two
months of the season, also ensuring every single club will be live at least
once between the first day of the campaign and the end of September.
Other highlights of their opening selection include the
Mourinho vs. Guardiola face-off in the first Manchester derby of the season on
Saturday, 10 September, a Friday night contest on 16 September between Chelsea
and Liverpool FC and the first match at West Ham United’s new home. AFC
Bournemouth will be the first visitors to the Olympic Stadium and the match is
live on Sky Sports on Sunday, 21 August, kicking off at 4pm.
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| Leicester City vs. Arsenal is one of BT's opening top selections. |
One of BT’s opening encounters is on weekend two as last
season’s top two do battle at the King Power Stadium. Leicester City held off
Arsenal in the league last term and persuaded top scorer Jamie Vardy (pictured tackling Alexis Sanchez) to sign a
new deal and resist the Gunners’ advances in the summer.
Who will get the better of their opponent here? Find out on BT Sport on Saturday, 20 August
at 5.30pm. BT will also broadcast
Liverpool FC vs Leicester City on Saturday, 10 September and Arsenal’s home
duel with Chelsea on Saturday, 24 September – again both with 5.30pm kick-offs.
The second round of live TV fixtures which will cover
October and November will be confirmed at the end of July.
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