Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City will kick off the Premier League TV coverage for soccer fans worldwide and in the United States on ESPN2 beginning with the new 2010-11 season on Saturday, August 14.

And now that the Premier League has announced many of the games which will be moved from the traditional 10am ET timeslot, we have a very good idea which games will be on what channels for viewers in the United States.

If, as we presume, Fox Soccer Plus will continue to show the early morning kickoff on Sunday, they’ll have a lot of mouthwatering games between now and the end of the year including Manchester United v Liverpool, Arsenal v Spurs, Everton against Liverpool and many more.

Here is the preliminary TV schedule for viewers in the United States. More games will be added soon. And TV schedules are subject to change (all times Eastern):

Saturday, August 14:
7:45am: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, August 15:
11am: Liverpool v Arsenal, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, August 16:
3pm: Manchester United v Newcastle, TBD

Saturday, August 21:
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
10am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2
12:15pm: Wigan Athletic v Chelsea, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, August 22:
8:30am: Newcastle United v Aston Villa, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Fulham v Manchester United, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, August 23:
3pm: Manchester City v Liverpool, TBD

Saturday, August 28:
7:45am: Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: Manchester United v West Ham United, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, August 29:
8:30am: Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City, Fox Soccer Plus
10am: Sunderland v Manchester City, FoxSoccer.tv
11am: Aston Villa v Everton, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, September 11:
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
10am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2

Sunday, September 12:
8:30am: Everton v Manchester United, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Birmingham City v Liverpool, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, September 13:
3pm: Stoke City v Aston Villa, TBD

Saturday, September 18:
7:45am: Stoke City v West Ham United, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: Sunderland v Arsenal, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, September 19:
8:30am: Manchester United v Liverpool, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, September 25:
7:45am: Manchester City v Chelsea, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, September 26:
7am: Bolton v Manchester United, Fox Soccer Plus
9:05am: Wolves v Aston Villa, Fox Soccer Plus
11:10am: Newcastle United v Stoke City, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, October 2:
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
10am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2

Sunday, October 3:
8:30am: Manchester City v Newcastle United, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Chelsea v Arsenal, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, October 4:
3pm: Wigan Athletic v Wolverhampton Wanderers, TBD

Saturday, October 16:
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
10am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2
12:30pm: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, October 17:
8:30am: Everton v Liverpool, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Blackpool v Manchester City, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, October 18:
3pm: Blackburn Rovers v Sunderland, TBD

Saturday, October 23:
7:45am: Tottenham Hotspur v Everton, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: West Ham United v Newcastle United, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, October 24:
8:30am: Stoke City v Manchester United, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Manchester City v Arsenal, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, October 30:
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
10am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2
12:30pm: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, October 31:
7am: Aston Villa v Birmingham, Fox Soccer Plus
8:30am: Bolton v Liverpool, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Newcastle United v Sunderland, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, November 1:
3pm: Blackpool v West Bromwich Albion

Saturday, November  6:
7:45am: Bolton v Tottenham, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)

Sunday, November 7:
8:30am: Arsenal v Newcastle United, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Liverpool v Chelsea, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, November 13:
7:45am: Aston Villa v Manchester United, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: Stoke City v Liverpool, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, November 14:
9am: Everton v Arsenal, Fox Soccer Plus
11:10am: Chelsea v Sunderland, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, November 20:
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
10am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2
12:30pm: Liverpool v West Ham United, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, November 21:
8:30am: Arsenal v Tottenham, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Fulham v Manchester City, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, November 22:
3pm: Sunderland v Everton, TBD

Saturday, November 27:
7:45am: Aston Villa v Arsenal, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)

Sunday, November 28:
8:30am: Newcastle United v Chelsea, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: Tottenham v Liverpool, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, December 4:
7:45am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, December 5:
8:30am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus
11am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, December 11:
7:45am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, December 12:
11am: Wolves v Birmingham, Fox Soccer Channel

Saturday, December 18:
7:45am: TBD v TBD, ESPN2
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, December 19:
7am: West Brom v Wolves, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, December 26:
8am: Arsenal v Chelsea, TBD
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv)
12:30pm: TBD v TBD, Fox Soccer Channel

What are the games which you are looking forward to? Are you happy with which games are on which channels? Share your opinion in the comment section below.

The first few days of the 2010 FIFA World Cup have come and gone like Robert Green’s stint as England’s #1 and ESPN (so far) have impressed with their fantastic coverage here in the States. It seems like ITV is the Robert Green of the tournament thus far while ESPN’s solid coverage, analysis and team of experts can be compared more to Tim Howard’s man of the match effort v England.

There’s still plenty of football left to be played which means there’s loads of time for Alexi Lalas to bug me with his incessant flag waving for the USMNT and his unhealthy obsession with the Greece national team. I get that he’s a former player and loves his country, but the way he goes about professing that love is nothing short of annoying and can be compared to overly dramatic theatre. Other than Lalas and his assumptive analysis, the team fielded by ESPN have been nothing short of professional, entertaining and informative.

Every broadcast in American starts with a thirty minute pre show hosted by Bob Ley or Chris Fowler who sound as if they really know who and what they’re talking about. Ley or Fowler are then joined by a combination of the aforementioned Lalas, Ruud Gullit, Roberto Martinez, or Steve McManaman. All have brought their own informed opinion to the platform when discussing pre and post match thoughts. Wigan boss Roberto Martinez and Gullit seem to be the two most objective and intelligent pundunts while still able to keep their comments light and to the point. The easily likable Martinez even comes across quite charming with his Spanish accent.

The actual match commentators have also been nothing short of flawless, informative and enjoyable throughout the opening weekend of matches. My favorite so far has been Ian Darke who most Premier League fans have been used to hearing for some time now. I love Darke’s voice and the way he sets up dramatic moments like they way he did for Asamoah Gyan’s penalty for Ghana v Serbia. There’s a sense of urgency with Darke and my hope is that he’ll be around for a 3-2 semi final macth or a dramatic penalty shootout. His commentary could be nothing short of epic and memorable for a high octane match.

Martin Tyler, Robbie Mustoe, Adrian Healey and more have been great in the opening round matches along with Darke. They seem as if they’ve been following these teams for months with their knowledge of players and insight into formations, tactics and positioning. One would expect nothing else from some of the world’s best commentators, but there’s always a sense of doubt with soccer coverage in the States because it’s been dumbed down in the past with bemused results.

My one glaring complaint came in Saturday’s match between England and the US when coverage shifted from ESPN to ABC. The ABC coverage would have been the same feed as ESPN showed, but there seemed to be way too many slow motion replays for my liking. In the opening 20 minutes of the match, there must have been 10-15 slow motion recaps where most featured David Beckham or Fabio Capello in their fine three piece suits with constipated looks of disbelief on their faces.

When the ball is in play on the field I want to see every second of it. In order for ESPN to avoid an ITV-esque moment where a major play is missed, they’ll need to limit the amount of replays shown and save them for halftime. ESPN also feature multiple highlights programs throuout the day and an extended look at the day’s matches later at night for those who missed the live broadcast. Great stuff for junkies like myself.

Whether you’re catching games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 or ABC HD, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the opening weekend coverage.

Seeing which Premier League games are scheduled on television is often like reading tea leaves. The TV networks guess which matches will generate the most number of viewers and will pick those if they have first dibs. In the case of this Sunday’s Premier League season finale, you can read a lot into the decisions made by Fox and ESPN.

Fox revealed on Tuesday that it would be showing Chelsea against Wigan on Fox Soccer Channel, while Manchester United against Stoke would be shown on Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv). In doing so, it sent out a loud and clear message that Fox is betting on Chelsea winning the Premier League title so the maximum audience can see the Blues lifting the trophy. If Manchester United somehow wins the Premier League title instead, Fox will have a little bit of egg on its face as the match will only be seen live on Fox Soccer Plus (and FoxSoccer.tv) which have a much smaller audience.

Surprisingly, ESPN announced on Wednesday afternoon — before the Manchester City against Spurs game was over — that it would be televising West Ham United against Man City on Sunday on ESPN2. That told me that they either didn’t think Tottenham Hotspur would beat Manchester City or they thought no one would bother watching Sunday’s match between Burnley and Spurs. I think it was more the latter.

If you were in charge of programming at Fox or ESPN, which games would you have picked to be shown on which channels this Sunday?

Soccer fans living in the United States who want to watch Blackburn Rovers against Arsenal today (Noon ET) will be disappointed to learn that the game is not available and is, for lack of better words, blacked-out. It’s not being shown on ESPN2 (as originally planned) or Fox Soccer Channel nor Fox Soccer Plus or even FoxSoccer.tv, so die-hard Arsenal or Rovers fans only have one way to watch it and that’s illegally.

This is the first time in the entire season that Arsenal fans living in the United States will be unable to see their team live on television or the Internet. It’s either a sad reflection that US broadcasters feel Arsenal’s season is effectually already over, or that ESPN2 was unable to air the game on its channel because “ESPN First Take” is on instead.

Nevertheless, it’s a shame that many soccer fans have only two options. Either skip the game or try viewing it online, illegally.

In other soccer TV news for US readers, if you don’t have DirecTV, you better brown nose your friends who do or plan a trip to your local pub to see the Europa League Final on May 12 between Fulham and Atletico Madrid. That’s because the game will only be available on DirecTV channel 461 on Wednesday, May 12 at 2:45pm ET. In related news, Fulham will be wearing its third strip for the final.

Last week’s match at Old Trafford between two in-form teams — Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur — was broadcast on ESPN2 in the United States. Regarding the number of viewers the 7:30am ET game got, it garnered a viewing audience of 388,000 and achieved a 0.3 rating.

The audience of 388,000 definitely puts the game in the top 10 highest viewing numbers for Premier League games on ESPN2 this season.

A few weeks ago, ESPN2 achieved a record high TV viewing audience for a broadcast of a Premier League match on US television. That game on April 3, 2010 between Manchester United and Chelsea drew an audience of 526,000 viewers. And now with this past Saturday’s derby between Manchester City and Manchester United, ESPN2 scored an equally impressive viewing audience.

The Manchester derby generated a 0.3 rating and was seen by an estimated 420,000 viewers in 316,000 TV homes. While the list of ratings for 2009-10 Premier League matches on US television is not comprehensive, it appears likely that the TV audience for the Manchester City against Manchester United game was the second highest of this season.

ESPN2′s recent luck with quality fixtures continues this weekend when they’ll be showing the live game between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday at 7:45am ET.

To say Americans rely on quality television stations and reliable broadcasts for our fix of the Premier League and other avenues of the beautiful game is a vast understatement. No, “rely” is simply too small a word to describe the lifeline, the oxygen, the blood and the water that is cable, satellite, or Internet broadcasting of soccer matches.

When it’s all you have, one can soon see why such a hefty number of articles hit this and other sites on a regular basis. I continue to find it odd that I don’t consider myself a couch potato, yet I watched some 15-20 hours of football on TV this past weekend. After countless hours stooped in a state of transfixed vegetation, one can develop quite the analytical eye when it comes to how our football is served.

Because of their colossal importance, I’d like to conduct a compare and contrast, point-based analysis on the two main stations available to soccer fans in the States – ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel. Having full access to both channels for quite some time, you tend to develop certain likes and dislikes of the channels. With EPL Talk as my platform, I’ll attempt to figure out which channel I like better and why.

1. Number of Premier League Games Shown – During the Premier League season, American viewers will most likely get no more than 2 games per week on ESPN2. The Saturday early match and a Monday evening match, if applicable. FSC and FSC+ carry almost every other match of the weekend. If you’re looking for shear number of matches, FSC wins in a landslide. 1 Point to FSC

2. Production Value – It’s hard to compare this variable as the ESPN family of networks has much deeper pockets than the Fox family has allotted to FSC. In all honesty, FSC simply can’t compete with the production value the likes of ESPN. ESPN wins in this category with their graphics, credits, promotional pieces, and overall expertise in the field. We must also keep in mind that FSC has only been in existence since 2005. 1 Point to ESPN

3. Competitions Available – Depending on the month you watch each channel could sway your vote on this one. Allow me to explain. Both channels offer the Barclays Premier League, while they cement their coverage with other competitions and leagues around the world. In addition to the EPL, ESPN offers Spain’s La Liga, decent coverage of the USMNT and of course this summer, the World Cup. As stated, FSC shows more Premier League matches and has the all important US rights to the UEFA Champions League. Also on offer at FSC is MLS, the Championship, Women’s Professional Soccer, Serie A, and quality programs such as The Contenders, The Greatest, UEFA Champions League Magazine and the Fox Soccer Report. FSC even airs an hour of Sky Sports News. Still though, I refuse to shot myself in the foot with this one by deciding a winner when two incredibly important competitions, the World Cup and the Champions League, are shown on different stations but will never air in the same months. Verdict – Draw, 0 points awarded.

4. Streaming Internet sites – More specifically, FoxSoccer.tv vs ESPN3 (formerly ESPN360). For full product review of each site, visit story here. FoxSoccer.tv has had it’s fair share of problems in the recent past. If they can work out the kinks, the site itself has plenty of great matches and enough diverse leagues on offer each week to make it a leader in the field of legal Internet streaming football sites. ESPN3 has been around the block for a bit longer and never seems to have any streaming, loading or buffering problems. ESPN3′s one downfall is their availability of football competitions and leagues. As many good ones as they do offer (Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A), they don’t currently offer the Premier League or the Champions League. As much as I do in fact like ESPN3, a very, very slight advantage goes to FoxSoccer.tv. 1 Point to FSC.

5. HD v HD – Slowly becoming the single most important variable in the soccer snob’s list of likes and dislikes. This is an easy one. All matches on ESPN are in full HD (except when the odd replay airs on ESPN Classic), where FSC is only available in HD on Dish Network in the States. Until DirecTV and other cable providers pick up the feed, ESPN will have the market cornered. For those who have only ever seen the beautiful game in standard definition, trust me, HD makes all the difference in the world. 1 Point to ESPN.

6. Tickers – Let my grave stone when I’m dead and gone say something along the lines of, ‘he loved his wife and family, he loved football, he died never having seen Radiohead live, and he hated tickers’. For me, the single most annoying aspect of watching any sport I can think of. Such it is though that ESPN deem it appropriate to let you know about the Ben Roethlisberger assault scandal or that the Tigers are leading the Indians 2-1 in the 5th inning while you’re trying to watch football. This debate is sure to rage on into the wee hours of the night, but with football, where you need to see the whole pitch at all times, tickers have no rightful place on TV. Save the updates for halftime or full time, or not at all. Doesn’t everyone have a phone that can check news and scores anyway? FSC is no longer able to claim innocence in the ticker debate. They seem to run their tickers less frequently, but whoever writes the thing should take a class in creative writing, the thing is simply bloody terrible. I’ve even heard ridiculous stories of the ticker running later in the day when FSC replays Premier League matches only for the ticker to give away the score of the very game being replayed. Sorry folks, tickers have no rightful place in football. Verdict – Draw, 0 Points awarded.

7. Commentators/Analysts- In America, both sites use the same format consisting of a team of pre and post match analysts and pundits. On Saturday’s, ESPN uses an interesting combination of Robbie Mustoe, Adrian Healey and now Alexi Lalas. Mustoe and Healey are quality while I’m unsure of what Lalas adds to the knowledge of the aforementioned two. He seems to say the most obvious words or will often have a bemused but excited look on his face as he blandly describes how “great” everything is. FSC employs the always happy, always smiling and always perky Christain Miles who epitomizes a corporate suit. Along with Miles is the well spoken and knowledgeable Warren Barton and typically Keith Costigan for the later match. All this said, both American stations broadcast the English commentary feed of the matches which is 9 times out of 10 pretty fantastic. Especially when we get the likes of Martin Tyler and Jon Champion. Since the match commentary itself is the same, I’m going to go with the strength of ESPN’s Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe and give the slight edge to ESPN. 1 Point to ESPN.

In the smallest of margins, ESPN barely edges out FSC, 3-2. The result would definitely ring true for those that are more interested in quality rather than quantity. Still, I love FSC and admire what they’ve done for football in this country. HD and other improvements are sure to come soon. They are a great station who continually force themselves to change for the better and to the satisfaction of the American soccer fan.

Let’s face it footie fans, if we could somehow combine the incredible HD and production value of ESPN with the ’round the clock’ selection, programming and passion for football of FSC and FSC+, minus the dreaded ticker, soccer perfection would await our every waking second.

Until that day arrives, we’ll be forced to deal with two pretty darn good stations to keep us going. After we rush home from school or work to switch on the DVR, and at the end of the day, it’s still about the rush of excitement we get from watching 11 v 11 chase a little round ball around a slab of grass. I guess as long as you enjoy your football, it really doesn’t matter where you get it from.

Vote in the poll below and leave a comment on what you like or dislike about either station.

The schedule for the remaining Premier League fixtures on US television has been updated, except for the last day of the season, and the big news is that you better start making your plans to prepare for the May 2nd match between Liverpool and Chelsea if you want to watch it live. That’s because it will be shown on Fox Soccer Plus and FoxSoccer.tv.

For a match which may have huge ramifications for both Chelsea and Liverpool, for different reasons, it’s going to be a true test of the patience of soccer fans in the States, many of whom don’t have access to Fox Soccer Plus and may or may not have much faith in FoxSoccer.tv after the problems the online service had handling Manchester United versus Liverpool and Arsenal against Barcelona.

So far, the only TV providers showing Fox Soccer Plus are DISH Network, DirecTV, Verizon FiOS and some regional Time Warner Cable companies.

In other interesting news, ESPN2 has picked up several matches between now and the end of the season to fulfill it’s agreement to show 48 matches. It means in the last week of the season, the channel will show three games within three days including the highly anticipated Manchester City against Spurs, Blackburn versus Arsenal and Wigan v Hull. View the most recently updated version of the Premier League schedule for US television to see all of the listings, which are subject to change.

Last weekend’s Manchester United against Chelsea match televised live on ESPN2 scored the largest viewing audience number ever for a Premier League game on US television. By U.S. standards, an incredible 526,000 viewers in 420,000 households watched the broadcast which kicked off at 7:30am ET on Saturday, April 3, 2010.

ESPN’s previous record for the largest viewing audience for a Premier League match on US television was from August 2009 when 398,391 viewers watched Liverpool against Aston Villa for a Monday 3pm ET match. In comparison, Fox Soccer Channel’s largest viewing audience for an EPL match was from February, 2009 when 298,000 viewers watched Liverpool versus Chelsea. For the 2008-09 season, Fox averaged 90,000 viewers per Premier League match. ESPN2′s average viewing number for the 2009-10 season has been much higher.

The estimated 526,000 viewers for the Manchester United against Chelsea match is even more impressive when you consider that the game was shown live at 4:45am PT on the west coast of the United States.

Worryingly for Major League Soccer, the viewing figures for the Man United against Chelsea game trounced the TV viewing numbers for the opening game of the 2010 MLS season featuring Seattle Sounders against Philadelphia Union, which was televised live on ESPN2 on a Thursday night during prime-time. Only 285,000 viewers watched the game, which was down 14% from the previous year when 327,000 watched Red Bull New York against the Sounders.

Games between Manchester United and Chelsea are often one of the highlights of the Premier League calendar year, but this past weekend’s game was even more exciting for soccer fans in the United States who were able to watch the match in HD on ESPN2.

Having followed the top flight of English league soccer for 32 years and having spent 26 of those years in the United States scrambling to find the best and most reliable sources of soccer news and information, I have the experience necessary to share with you what every supporter of a Premier League club should have to survive a season and enjoy it in style.

Whether you’re a veteran soccer fan or a newbie, you’ll find several helpful tips for you in this article. Consider it your Swiss Army knife guide to following the Premier League.

Here are my top 10 picks for what every supporter should have:

1. If you live in the United States, you need to subscribe to Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Soccer Plus, ESPN2 and GolTV. Some of you may argue that GolTV isn’t as necessary, but the channel does show some Europa League games and offers a lot of La Liga and Bundesliga games if you ever feel burned out from watching too much Premier League soccer. And be sure to follow EPL Talk’s Premier League TV Schedule to stay up-to-date on which Premier League teams are going to be on television in the States.
2. HD television and HD service from your TV provider. The beautiful game was meant to be enjoyed in HD. And now that more Premier League games are being shown in HD than ever before, it’s important you get the equipment necessary as well as check to see if the TV networks you need (see above) are available in HD on your provider. As of press time, DISH Network is the only one showing Fox Soccer Channel in HD in the United States. No TV providers are yet broadcasting Fox Soccer Plus in HD (SD only, for now). And GolTV may be in HD later this year.
3. A DVR (digital video recorder). This is an absolute must-have for any soccer fan. There are so many games on each week featuring Premier League teams that you have to tape many of them for viewing at a later date.
4. Subscribe to FoxSoccer.tv, if you’re in the States. While the relaunched broadband site experienced a few growing pains since it’s relaunch last week, the sheer volume of live Premier League games it features makes it a must-have. This coming Saturday alone, it has four live games being featured at 10am ET. If you want to see as much Premier League as possible, you need FoxSoccer.tv
5. Get ESPN3. ESPN360, which will be renamed ESPN3 in April, is another must-have specifically because of the broadband matches it’ll show such as the Carling Cup, summer friendly tournaments and World Cup. ESPN360.com is a free service but it’s available through most ISPs in the United States. Visit ESPN360.com to see if you have it.
6. Get an iPhone or Android phone. You’re not always going to be near a computer or television set to stay on top of the news about your favorite Premier League team, so be sure to have a mobile phone such as the Apple iPhone or any of the Android phones which will give you the edge when you’re trying to stay on top of things. For the Apple iPhone, must-have apps include iCarRadio Lite (for live radio broadcasts of Premier League matches from the BBC), EPL Live! or iFooty World (for up-to-the minute latest scores), ESPN 2010 World Cup (for everything World Cup related) and a Twitter app such as Twitterrific for the latest EPL news and discussion. Of course, there’s also the free EPL Talk iPhone app which features blog posts, comments, podcast episodes and more.
7. Subscribe to podcasts via iTunes. Be sure to subscribe to the best Premier League-related podcasts such as The Guardian’s Football Weekly, the EPL Talk Podcast, TheGame Podcast, BBC’s World Football Phone-In Show, the official Barclays Premier League Podcast and more than 50 others.
8. Buy Soccernomics, the book. I’m re-reading Soccernomics for the second time and it is without a doubt one of the best soccer books I’ve ever read. The reason why I feel it should be part of your survival kit is because the way it discusses globalization and the impact that has had on soccer and primarily the Premier League. It’s a fascinating read and it really feels as if it was written for the Internet age in terms of how it combines amazing facts with the way it makes you see soccer in a whole new way.
9. Sign up for Twitter. No, Twitter isn’t just for kids. And no, Twitter isn’t just for telling your friends what you’re eating for dinner. For soccerholics such as us, it’s an incredibly useful tool to find out late breaking news and to participate in an underground soccer culture that spans the globe (at least it feels like we’re in the underground at times in the States). After you’ve signed up for Twitter, be sure to follow EPL Talk.
10. Bookmark 101 Great Goals. While there have been significant advances in technology and the quantity of games available on television and the Internet, there remains one last bastion where the Premier League and its partners don’t serve us well and that’s in the form of goal highlights. Yes, there is a weekly highlights show from the Premier League and TWI. And yes, there are often nightly news shows that feature highlights. But there isn’t anything legal for immediate on-demand access to goal highlights. Thankfully, 101GreatGoals.com is the best alternate source available.

Optional:

• Slingbox. With Slingbox, you can watch programming from your television on the Internet or a mobile device. Imagine you’re at work but you want to “tune” into your TV from your work computer and watch a live or pre-recorded Champions League game, you can do this with Slingbox.
• Audible. A great way to expand your knowledge of the Premier League is by listening to audiobooks of several soccer titles on Audible. Get a free audiobook from Audible today.
• Fantasy Premier League. To make the season more interesting, I highly recommend that you enroll for free and play the Fantasy Premier League game with hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from around the world. It’s even more fun when you play in a private league such as the EPL Talk Fantasy Premier League, which is in the top 50 of the best leagues in the world.
• Pub Finder. Last, but by no means least, it’s important to go see a Premier League match on television in a nearby pub every once in a while so you can get a completely different perspective on the beautiful game. Use Setanta US’s handy-dandy pub finder tool which still works.

Other than the list of the best soccer blogs and news sites, what did I miss? What things do you feel should be a part of a survival kit for soccer fans who watch Premier League matches on TV that aren’t listed above? Thanks in advance for your feedback.