EPL Talk » GolTV

Top 10 Things Every Premier League TV Viewer Must Have

The Gaffer — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:17:20 +0000

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:

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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Poll: Which US Soccer TV Network Is The Best Value For Money?

The Gaffer — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:04:02 +0000

Which US soccer TV network represents the best value for money? Vote in the poll above and share your opinions in the comments section below. Yes, ESPN2 is not a US soccer network, but it does show a lot of soccer throughout the season. But tell us who you think is the best value. It’ll be interesting to see which network gets the most votes!

Are The Days Of Cable and Satellite Providers Numbered?

The Gaffer — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:30:10 +0000

In the past decade, we’ve seen plenty of changes but one of the biggest ones has been that middle men have seen their power stripped away because of the Internet. Record companies are no longer as powerful as they used to be. Authors are self-publishing their books. Filmmakers are releasing their movies online.

The next giant to fall, I believe, will be the cable and satellite providers.

Out of the 300 plus channels that you have on your television, how many of them do you watch regularly? For me, the answer is seven (Fox Soccer Channel, GolTV, ESPN2, BBC America, Comedy Central, TBS and HBO). Instead of paying more than $50 per month to my cable company who provides me a wire to bring channels into my home, what if I could make a deal directly with HBO, Fox Soccer Channel or any of the other networks to watch their content for a monthly fee over the Internet to my TV set or computer?

And how much would you pay for each channel per month? Five dollars sounds fair to me. Plus by dealing directly with Fox Soccer Channel, HBO and other channels, I’m not stuck in a one-year or two-year contract with my satellite provider. Plus I don’t have to pay a monthly fee to rent a DVR or a remote control from my cable company. And with the a la carte option, I get the self satisfaction in paying for what I want instead of paying for boring channels that don’t interest me at all.

This future isn’t going to happen overnight, but it’s definitely heading that way. It’s one of the reasons why I believe Comcast bought NBC so that instead of just being the cable company, they now have quality assets that people actually want — programming. Even ABC and CBS are reportedly contemplating a deal with Apple to provide their programming via a subscription model over the Internet.

For networks such as Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV, cutting out the middle man allows them to not being held hostage by Time Warner Cable and DISH Network respectively.

Plus with Setanta Sports, who have been trying to expand their reach for years and still haven’t been able to get on as many cable providers as they would like, this would help bring Setanta Sports directly to consumers instead of dealing with the archaic multiple system operator (MSO) set-up that cable companies have where they’re structured on a regional basis instead of being nationwide. Imagine how much further along Setanta would be as a business if they didn’t have to expend so much energy just trying to get on a cable platform for people to watch their channel.

Would you be in favor of a system where you could pick and choose only those networks you’d like to subscribe to and then deal directly with those providers to subscribe to their programming? Or not? Click the comments link below to share your feedback. I’m very interested in what you have to say on the matter.

Time Warner Customers In Danger Of Losing Fox Soccer Channel

The Gaffer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:05:23 +0000

Time Warner Cable customers are in jeopardy of losing Fox Soccer Channel next month unless a deal can be agreed between the two companies before December 31, 2009.

The standoff between Time Warner Cable and Fox is similar to what happened between DISH Network and GolTV recently where both parties were unable to come to an agreement of how much the sports network should be paid. In that particular case, GolTV refused to back down regarding DISH Network’s demands and GolTV is no longer available via that satellite broadcaster.

If both Fox and Time Warner are unable to agree a fee per subscriber, it’s likely that Fox programming such as Premier League soccer, NFL football and college bowl games will not be seen by TWC subscribers beginning January 1.

Fox has created a website to make its viewers aware of the issue regarding Time Warner Cable. The KeepFoxOn.com website features press stories on the topic, tips on what you can do as a TWC customer, a list of programming that TWC customers would miss, as well as facts about the negotiations between Fox and TWC.

According to the web site, Fox claims that the amount it is asking for all of its networks is in the same ballpark as what Time Warner Cable pays for one network (ESPN at about $4 per subscriber, per month) and that based on its comparable cost of programming, could charge as much as $4 to $5 per month per subscriber.

Fox Sports International was contacted to make a statement regarding the news. Here’s what they said:

“For the past nine months, Fox has attempted to negotiate in good faith with Time Warner Cable. Our position in these negotiations is entirely reasonable – we are simply asking for fair compensation for the impressive value our Fox programming offers.

While negotiations are ongoing, we have a responsibility to prepare our viewers for the very likely possibility that Time Warner Cable may choose to no longer carry Fox Broadcasting, Fox Cable and Fox regional sports programming. Toward that end, today we launched a marketing campaign notifying Time Warner Cable subscribers that they may lose access to American Idol, 24, House and some of the best live event sports programming on TV (including most BCS Bowl games and NFL on Fox). The campaign consists of print advertising, TV spots, a call-in number (1-866-KEEP-FOX), and a website, www.keepfoxon.com.

Going forward, we will continue actively negotiating with Time Warner Cable in hopes of reaching a fair agreement and will attempt to keep our viewers informed of the situation every step of the way.”

Time Warner Cable has been contacted to provide a response, so we’ll publish that if and when they reply. Interestingly, Time Warner launched a website recently where it gives its customers the chance to vote for whether TWC should pay the higher rates from program providers such as Fox or roll-over. That website is at http://rolloverorgettough.com/

Are you a Time Warner Cable customer? If so, what are your thoughts about the likelihood that you may lose Fox Soccer Channel and other Fox networks? Share your feedback below.

Canadians Enjoy Chaos-Free Premiership, Champions League Broadcasts

Richard Whittall — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:49:43 +0000

Photo by deegs

Amid all the murmurings about ESPN losing Champions League rights in the US, Canadians, with some notable exceptions, have emerged relative winners in the last few years, even with the initially disruptive introduction of Setanta Sports in the latter part of 2007.

In a perfect world, all the football we’d ever want to watch would be split between three basic cable channels forever and ever, amen. But as long as the Premier League and the Champions League remain as popular, that will never be the case—although Canada comes pretty close.

As it stands now, Setanta gets the early and late matches on Saturdays and pick of the litter for the 10:00 AM EST slot. It also gets the early Sunday PL fixture. While annoyed Canadians have to pay a premium fee ($14.99 a month on Cable providers Bell and Rogers), the trade off is getting to watch weekday, holiday and repeated fixtures that used to go begging on Canadian television, in addition to live Champions League games, SPL matches, on and off Eredivisie and regular Sunday French Ligue 1, plus staple shows like Football Matters and the Friday Football Show (the less said about Rugby and GAA the better), no broadband, no fuss, no muss.

Meanwhile Rogers Sportsnet (basic cable) gets the second 10 AM Saturday pick, and the Score gets the marquee 11 am Sunday morning fixture, so drive-by supporters who don’t mind sifting through the dregs of Justin TV once in a while are okay. In addition to the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga fans can get their fix on GolTV (3 bucks a month and no carrier lawsuits!) and Serie A supporters can catch games (and Bobby McMahon) both on Fox Sports Canada (3 bucks a month) and Telelatino (basic cable). The main sports channel, TSN (basic cable) carries quarterfinal-final Champions League fixtures.

These prices vary of course if you decide to go with a premium package. It’s not ideal, but with one or two exceptions the quality of coverage is very good and the amount of football available without having to go beyond basic cable is substantial. Amid the turgid mess of rights’ acquisitions, it’s nice to enjoy a bit of stability.

Racing Santander vs Manchester City On U.S. TV

The Gaffer — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:00:00 +0000

GolTV has announced that it’ll be televising the UEFA Cup match live between Racing Santander and Manchester City, scheduled Thursday, December 18 at 2:45 p.m. ET.

For Manchester City, they’re guaranteed at least second place in their group, but they need to get a better result in Santander than FC Twente do against Paris Saint Germain, then City will end the group in first place and will avoid Champions League teams in the next stage of the tournament.

Seasons Greetings From GolTV

The Gaffer — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:47:53 +0000

It’s time of the year when corporations send out holiday cards, and U.S. soccer networks are no different. Instead of the traditional greeting card sent through the mail, GolTV has decided this year to send an electronic card.

View GolTV’s holiday greeting card now.

GolTV Acquires TV Rights To 2009 European Under-21 Championship

The Gaffer — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:00:47 +0000

GolTV has acquired the U.S. TV rights to the 2009 European under-21 Championship, scheduled for June 15-29 in Sweden.

The eight countries competing in the tournament will be England, Italy, Serbia, Germany, Finland, Belarus, Spain and Sweden. The draw for the tournament takes place on December 3rd.

For connoiseurs of the beautiful game, the European Under-21 Championship will be an excellent opportunity to watch some of the up-and-coming players in action.

Coached by Stuart Pearce, England will favor its chances of doing well in the tournament especially with a talent pool that includes Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milnar, Chelsea’s Michael Mancienne (who has been called up for today’s game against Germany), Tottenham’s Jamie O’Hara, Manchester City’s Joe Hart, West Ham United’s Mark Noble and many more.

Setanta Now Available On AT&T U-Verse

The Gaffer — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:00:35 +0000

Setanta Sports is now available on AT&T U-Verse, as of this week.

U-Verse is AT&T’s Internet protocol television (IPTV) solution that starts at $44 per month and is available nationwide. Setanta Sports is available for $15 per month.

U-Verse also offers Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV, so if you’re unable to get DirecTV and you want to move away from DISH Network, AT&T U-Verse may be worth considering. Learn more about U-Verse today.

Setanta Sports is now available on DirecTV, DISH Network, Verizon FIOS, Cox (in Virginia), NextTV, WorldTV, AT&T U-Verse and other carriers.

If you’re a Comcast Cable customer and you want to get Setanta, learn what you can do to get Setanta on cable.

Interview With Ray Hudson: Questions Please

The Gaffer — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:00:36 +0000

If you’ve ever had a question you were dying to ask Ray Hudson, here’s your chance. Post your question in the comments section below, and I’ll pick out the best ones to ask Ray this Saturday when Kartik Krishnaiyer and I embark on our behind-the-scenes visit to the GolTV studios in Miami.

Kartik and I will be spending the day in the studio with Ray Hudson, Phil Schoen, Lindsey Dean and Pablo Alsina — and the GolTV crew — as we chronicle what a typical Saturday is like behind-the-scenes in the studio. In addition to Ray Hudson, feel free to post your questions in the comments below for Phil Schoen, Lindsey Dean and Pablo Alsina, too, as well as any production questions for the people behind the scenes at GolTV.

Here are the games that Kartik and I will be watching from the studio, and watching the commentators call:

Hamburg vs Borussia Dortmund, 11:30am; commentator: Phil Schoen
Real Madrid vs Malaga, 2pm; commentators: Phil Schoen and Ray Hudson
Barcelona vs Vallodolid, 4pm; commentators: Pablo Alsina and Lindsey Dean

As well as videotaping what it’s like to see Ray and Phil commentating on games from the studio, Kartik and I will be interviewing each of the commentators and publishing the interviews later via the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast and EPL Talk Podcast. During Saturday, I’ll be twittering what’s happening behind the scenes, so feel free to follow me on Twitter.

Ray Hudson played with Newcastle United in the 1970s before moving to the United States where he played in the NASL for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Hudson later became the head coach for the Miami Fusion and DC United, and is now a successful commentator for GolTV, a 24/7 soccer network in the United States.