The wait is over. EPL Talk can now reveal many of the 2009-2010 Premier League matches that will be shown on U.S. TV between August and the end of November.
UPDATE: ESPN confirmed on the eve of the new season (August 14, 2009) that they have indeed won the TV rights to the Premier League in the United States for Saturday morning early kickoffs as well as Monday afternoon games.
In the United Kingdom, the Premier League has announced which matches will be shown by Sky Sports and ESPN UK. As a result, we can ascertain which matches will be shown by Setanta US, ESPN2 and Fox Soccer Channel in the United States, all of whom have the rights to show the Premier League matches in the U.S. until the end of the 2009-2010 season.
Note that the complete TV schedule for August through November has yet to be announced, specifically the 10am ET/3pm GMT games. But here’s what we know thus far.
UPDATED: ESPN2 games have been added to the schedule after ESPN acquired the rights to the early Saturday morning kick-off and Monday’s mid-afternoon game (ET).
Here’s the TV schedule for viewers in the United States for the Premier League from August until the end of November (all times eastern):
Saturday, August 15:
- Chelsea v Hull City, 7:45am, ESPN2
- Aston Villa v Wigan, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- Blackburn Rovers v Manchester City, 10am, Setanta US
- Wolves v West Ham, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Everton v Arsenal, 12:30pm, Fox Soccer Channel
- Stoke City v Burnley, 2:30pm [delayed], Fox Soccer Channel
- Portsmouth v Fulham, 6:45pm [delayed], Setanta US
Sunday, August 16:
- Manchester United v Birmingham City, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Tottenham v Liverpool, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Tuesday, August 18:
- Sunderland v Chelsea, 2:40pm, Setanta US
- Wigan v Wolves, 2:40pm, Setanta Xtra
Wednesday, August 19:
- Burnley v Man United, 2:40pm, Setanta US
- Hull v Tottenham, 2:40pm, Setanta Xtra
Saturday, August 22:
- Man City v Wolves, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- Arsenal v Portsmouth, 10am, Setanta US
- Wigan v Manchester United, 10am, ESPN2
- Sunderland v Blackburn, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Birmingham v Stoke City, Noon, Fox Soccer Channel
- Hull City v Bolton, 5pm [delayed], Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, August 23:
- West Ham United v Tottenham, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Fulham v Chelsea, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Monday, August 24:
- Liverpool v Aston Villa, 3pm, ESPN2
Saturday, August 29:
- Chelsea v Burnley, 7:45am, ESPN2
- Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- Bolton v Liverpool, 10am, Setanta US
- Blackburn v West Ham, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Manchester United v Arsenal, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
- Stoke City v Sunderland, 5pm [delayed], Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, August 30:
- Portsmouth v Manchester City, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Aston Villa v Fulham, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Saturday, September 12:
- Man City v Arsenal, 10am, Setanta US
- Liverpool v Burnley, 10am, ESPN2
- Stoke v Chelsea, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Tottenham v Manchester United, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, September 13:
- Birmingham City v Aston Villa, 7am, Setanta US
- Fulham v Everton, 11:15am, Fox Soccer Channel
Saturday, September 19:
- Burnley v Sunderland, 7:45am, ESPN2
- Arsenal v Wigan Athletic, 10am, Setanta US
- Aston Villa v Portsmouth, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- West Ham United v Liverpool, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, September 20:
- Manchester United v Manchester City, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Chelsea v Tottenham, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Saturday, September 26:
- Portsmouth v Everton, 7:45am, ESPN2
- Stoke v Man United, 10am, Setanta US
- Liverpool v Hull City, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Fulham v Arsenal, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, September 27:
- Sunderland v Wolves, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Monday, September 28:
- Manchester City v West Ham United, ESPN2
Saturday, October 3:
- TBD v TBD, 10am, ESPN2
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- Bolton v Spurs, 10am, Setanta US
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Manchester United v Sunderland, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, October 4:
- Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Chelsea v Liverpool, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Monday, October 5:
- Aston Villa v Manchester City, 3pm, ESPN2
Saturday, October 17:
- Aston Villa v Chelsea, 7:45am, ESPN2
- Man United v Bolton, 10am, Setanta US
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
Sunday, October 18:
- Blackburn Rovers v Burnley, 8am, Setanta US
- Wigan v Manchester City, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Monday, October 19:
- Fulham v Hull City, 3pm, ESPN2
Saturday, October 24:
- Wolves v Aston Villa, 7:45am, ESPN2
- Man City v Fulham, 10am, Setanta US
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, October 25:
- Liverpool v Manchester United, 10am, Setanta US
- West Ham United v Arsenal, 11:15am, Fox Soccer Channel
Saturday, October 31:
- Arsenal v Tottenham, 8:45am, ESPN2
- Fulham v Liverpool, 11am, Setanta US
- TBD v TBD, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 11am, Setanta Xtra
- Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers, 1:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, November 1:
- Birmingham City v Manchester City, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Saturday, November 7:
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta US
- TBD v TBD, 10am, ESPN2
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Wolves v Arsenal, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, November 8:
- Hull City v Stoke City, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Chelsea v Manchester United, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Monday, November 9:
- Liverpool v Birmingham City, 3pm, ESPN2
Saturday, November 21:
- Liverpool v Manchester City, 7:45am, ESPN2
- Chelsea v Wolves, 10am, Setanta US
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Manchester United v Everton, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, November 22:
- Bolton v Blackburn, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Stoke City v Portsmouth, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Saturday, November 28:
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta US
- TBD v TBD, 10am, ESPN2
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Fox Soccer Channel
- TBD v TBD, 10am, Setanta Xtra
- Aston Villa v Tottenham, 12:15pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday, November 29:
- Everton v Liverpool, 8:30am, Setanta US
- Arsenal v Chelsea, 11am, Fox Soccer Channel
Observations:
- Setanta UK may be dead in the water, and Setanta Ireland may be hanging on by a thread, but the above TV schedule shows what an important role Setanta US plays in providing US viewers with high profile Premier League matches.
- The schedule has been kind to Fox Soccer Channel for Saturday’s 12:15pm kick-off, which in the past I’ve tended to refer to as the “Fox Snoozy Saturday” game because it was usually a less revelant game that was shown. And during a spell of several weeks last season, there were a series of 0-0 draws for the matches featured in that time slot. Because ESPN UK will be showing the 12:15pm ET/5:15pm GMT kickoff in the UK on Saturdays, the Premier League probably wanted to be kind to them and gave them several high-profile matches. As a result, since Fox has that timeslot in the US, Fox will be able to show games that include Man United v Arsenal, Spurs v Man United, Fulham and Arsenal, and several other games featuring Manchester United.
- With Fox Soccer Channel continuing to hold on to the most coveted weekend TV spot — the 11am Sunday game, which always features the highest ratings — they have several high-profile matches to show which will include Spurs v Liverpool, Fulham v Chelsea, Chelsea v Spurs, Chelsea v Liverpool, Chelsea v Man United and Arsenal v Chelsea.
- It’s no surprise that we’ll get to see the Big Four on TV during the opening weekend on August 15-16. Chelsea against Hull City will kick off the new season at 7:45am ET on Saturday, August 15 on ESPN2. On that afternoon, Fox Soccer Channel will show Everton versus Arsenal. On Sunday, August 16, Setanta US will show Manchester United against Birmingham City on 8:30am ET, while FSC will show Spurs versus Liverpool at 11am.
Thoughts? Click the comments link below and share your opinion.
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{ 131 comments… read them below or add one }
It will be good to see Arsenal on the opening day of the season on FSC. As you pointed out, FSC got the short end of the stick last season. Last year both Man U-Arsenal matches were broadcast on Sentanta. This year FSC will have at least one of those matches. Only fitting as the vast majority of EPL fans have access to FSC.
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no real surprises…much the same as in years past. would expect the games FSC and Setanta show at 10AM to be the remaining top 4 teams not in the other TV slots, plus I expect we’ll see a lot of Man City this year.
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This seems lite to me. Is this just the live games? With other being shown on tape?
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These are just the live games which we now for certain thus far. There’ll be many many more announced in the coming weeks — mostly live.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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I really hope that it’s incomplete. Last season we got to see almost ALL LFC games. Looking at the above, we are missing the following LFC games:
19 Aug, 2009 Stoke City
29 Aug, 2009 Bolton Wanderers
12 Sep, 2009 Burnley
19 Sep, 2009 West Ham United
26 Sep, 2009 Hull City
17 Oct, 2009 Sunderland
31 Oct, 2009 Fulham
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Liverpool are appearing live SIX times between August and November. Isn’t that good enough for you? I mean there other teams in the league that the tv coverage has to include. There’s just no pleasing some people.
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Mike,
For the last few years, we have been lucky enough to be able to watch almost all LFC games. To miss 7 games in the first few months alone would be a disaster, IMHO. Any TRUE supporter would say the same thing. Get off your high horse and move along.
Chris
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Many weekends last year, between FSC and Setanta, the entire EPL schedule for that week was shown either live or delayed. I’m hoping that holds true for this season.
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Chris,
If you feel that missing seven games is such a big deal then I suggest you move to Liverpool, get yourself a season ticket and then you’ll have nothing to complain about.
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Yeah – just pack up and move to Liverpool!! That sounds completely reasonable.
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Any idea about the situation in Canada. Our version of Fox Soccer is Fox Sports World Canada a station that holds little interest to me unless I want to watch endless repeats of Jeremy St Louis and the boys laugh their way through the Fox Soccer Report.
Do you know who will cover the EPL games…last year we got all 10 per round live or on short tape delay….8 on Setanta Sports Canada, 1 on Rogers Sportsnet and 1 on the Score.
Will Setanta US or Setanta Canada even exist in light of Setanta UK no longer existing and Setanta Ireland losing the rights to the EPL in Irelan to ESPN (I think I have that right).
Great initial update on the games available.
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Let me see what I can find out about the situation in Canada. It may be a lot rockier than in the US.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Don’t forget about your readers up in Canadia……….where’s our T.V schedule……eh!
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Thanks for this info, you really do a great job.
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Thanks Mark for the compliments and your support.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Also, don’t forget the Setanta Extra Channel for one additional live game per weekend. That usually makes for a 4th or 5th live game being shown per weekend.
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Are we certain that the Monday night game is on Setanta (are we sure *anything* will be on Setanta may be a more appropriate question — how will they be paying FSC for the sublicensing?) … but back to the specific point: The Monday game was on FSC two years ago before moving to Setanta last year. Was that move part of a multi-year agreement?
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Setanta US is safe, for now. They posted an announcement on their web site a few days ago mentioning they were excited about the new Premier League season (see http://www.setanta.com/global/us.html).
So, yes, they will be showing the Monday night games (as well as the majority of Premier League matches this season). They are profitable, or near-profitable, so they’re in a much stronger position than Setanta UK was in.
Fox owns the rights to the Premier League in the US for the upcoming season, with Setanta sub-licensing many of the games. The addition of the Monday match on Setanta was agreed between Fox and Setanta a couple of years ago, yes.
Thanks for the questions JB.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Here’s the scoop on Setanta’s Premier League coverage for the upcoming season on Canadian TV:
“There is no change in Canada. Setanta has another year to run and then the bid for 2010-2013 goes in. Setanta is working with Sportsnet the main player in that market and does not foresee any problems.”
That’s great news for EPL fans in Canada!
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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In Canada, Score Media is the primary rightsholder and Setanta is the sublicensee.
The Setanta Sports Canada channel is 80% owned by Rogers Communications. Setanta Sports North America Ltd. ownd only 20% of Setanta Sports Canada due to CRTC rules limiting foreign ownership of pay speciality sports TV channels.
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And will setanta-I be the same as setanta-us?
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Good question. Anyone know?
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It should be.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Do they also show games on delay on FOX Soccer Channel ?….like one that was on Setanta US ? So Im looking foward to this…I know when i used to watch FSC on the internet on the weekend they were showing some games that would make you fall asleep. Serie A was prolly getting a ton more viewers on FSC last year than the Premier League was. I like both so it doesnt really matter but. I just wondering if FSC would be showing some games on tape delay that was on Setanta US ?…It would be nice to see Manchester United’s opening fixture.
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Will ESPN360.com air any of the EPL matches it airs in the UK (that might not necessarily air on FSC or Setanta)? I know FSC and Setanta own the TELEVISION broadcast rights in the USA, but who owns the online broadcast rights?
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No EPL games will be aired on ESPN360.com — at least for this coming season. Both Fox Soccer Channel (http://www.foxsoccer.tv) and Setanta US (http://www.setanta-i.com) own the broadband rights. The latter is definitely the better option between the two for several reasons.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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OK, thx! Keep up the good work!
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I almost crapped myself that there was only 2 games a day between the two channels, until I saw the disclaimer that it was not a complete list. Please, please, please…let it be like last season, where pretty much every game was shown, either live or delayed. And I care less about delayed as I DVR them anyways.
Thanks for the 411 Gaffer, keep up the good work!
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Pretty sure, just like last year, we’ll get about five live games between the two channels with maybe three or four others on tape delay throughout the rest of each day. I believe last year there’d always be at least one game not shown, fixtures amongst the likes of Wigan-West Brom, Middlesbrough-Fulham, or Hull-Sunderland.
If that remains the worst case scenario, then we are golden.
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Fatpanda, So there is a chance us that have Fox Soccer Channel will get to see the Manchester United vs Birmingham game ?
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It’s doubtful. The Setanta games usually are replayed on Setanta, while the Fox games are usually replayed on FSC.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Thanks much for the info Gaffer. A question – how do you think the problems with Setanta UK/Ireland will affect Setanta-i (the broadband version) in the U.S.? From what I understand, they rolled out the new broadband site very late in the season (March or April, I think) and it had a few hiccups. Will it be a viable option for the upcoming season if they are short on cash to maintain it?
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DFW,
It’s an excellent question. Right now, Setanta-i is fine and continues to be operational. It should be online as long as Setanta US is in business. Anything can change, but we’re monitoring the situation on a day-by-day basis to see if anything changes.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Are we sure Setenta-i are still running? When you try to go to Setanta-i right now it redirect you to http://www.setanta.com/uk/ (has a statement about the closing of the company along with a FAQ for getting money back and whatnot).
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It works for me. Are you accessing the page from the UK?
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Nope but it works now. Don’t know why it was redirecting to the UK site for me for a bit.
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With ESPN producing the 12:15pm eastern kickoff on Saturdays that FSC airs will Fox air the ESPN broadcast? Or does TWI get a clean feed from ESPN and voiceovers over the commentary for an international audience?
Just curious how that works out? I also wonder who ESPN will end up hiring to call the games since the people they hire can pull double or triple duty and call the games on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday when they have Monday Games to produce.
With ESPN and Sky tagging up this year to get ESPN up and running for the Prem season, I wonder if you will see ESPN and Fox decide to share the Prem distribution rights next year.
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CFTV, good questions. Fox Soccer Channel, I’m sure, will pick up the international feed which will have a different set of commentators and will feature none of the ESPN graphics.
As for the ESPN UK commentators, I’m sure we’ll be hearing news in the coming weeks of who they’ll hire. Presumably, most of the commentators will be ex-Setanta announcers such as Jon Champion and others.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Hey guys, this maybe a little off topic, but since we were talking about Setanta……………. What is to become of Special1 TV? Has it gone down with the ship that was Setanta UK? That would be too bad, damn funny show.
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The future of Special1 TV hangs in the balance. If Setanta Ireland survives, then the likelihood of the Special1 TV programme continuing is increased. If Setanta Ireland goes under, then you can kiss the programme goodbye.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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I love Special1 TV. If it needs Setanta Ireland to survive, then I think its in trouble.
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Any Big Four matches through the end of November that are not listed here will be 3:00 UK time starts and will definitely air either on FSC or Setanta US.
The distribution of games so far is good for both channels, but keep in mind that scheduling definitely factors in Champions and Europa League commitments. This especially becomes more acute during the second half of the season if English teams are doing well in Europe, and could lead to either FSC or Setanta ending up with the lion’s share of big matches then. But for now, they both have slates that they will probably be happy with.
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Does anyone know when the tv fixture list will be released for the December games?
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Vernon, probably not for a few months. Let me know if there’s a particular game you’re interested in knowing whether it’ll be on TV or not, and I can get back to you.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Man United v. Villa on Dec 12. Since I’m hoping to catch this game, I wanted to see if this was going to move to the 13th because that would impact my travel plans in a major way.
Thanks!
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Vernon,
That’s a tricky one. Sky and ESPN probably won’t announce whether that one is going to moved — if it is at all — until a few weeks before the game. But there will be Champions League games in early December, which means that the game might be moved. But it’s too hard to say right now (UEFA hasn’t announced their 2009 Champions League schedule, as far as I know).
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Gaffer,
Looks like I’m gonna have to play it safe and go to Upton Park and watch Man United play West Ham.
Thanks for your valuable input!
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Do we have any information on any HD broadcasting? I am assuming that the La Liga games that will be on ESPN will be in HD but how about Premier League/Champions League on FSC or Setanta?
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FSC will have Premier League games in HD by the beginning of next year (late December/early January). Setanta may have HD sometime next year. Not sure whether La Liga games will be HD on ESPN, but I sure hope so.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Gaffer, you just got me wet. When the EPL games on Setanta and FSC start showing in HD I am going to feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven…
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Hi Fletcher,
Two English Premier League games now covered by Sky are produced in HD and will be available in the United States on FSC. That’s the Saturday 12:30 p.m. (Eastern) match and the 11 a.m. (Eastern) Sunday games (presumably starting near the end of 2009).
http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/the-skinny-on-champions-league-on-fox/?pagemode=print
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I think it is a matter of time before we say bye-bye to Setanta US. Setanta Ireland has just been sold off and the company is in administration and owe a 200 million plus. I think it is only a matter of time.
hello ESPN ? Please no Tommy!!!
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Dageeza, I’m not aware of Setanta Ireland being sold or owing 200 million plus. Please include a link to your source.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Am I right by suggesting that if most people had to pick between FSC or Setanta-i for next season… it’d probably be Setenta-i? I mean that’s what it looks like to me from that initial schedule.
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I would pick Setanta-i. Remember though that the schedule announced thus far is only a small portion of the games that will be shown. Fox Soccer’s broadband package is awful and more expensive and doesn’t feature the same benefits that Setanta-i has.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Hey Gaffer:
Thanks for your early posting of the upcoming schedule. One question that I never get an answer to; why are 3:00 p.m. matches excluded from U.K. schedules? I was told once in my community pub that no 3:00 p.m. matches are broadcast in order to protect the lower leagues e.g., Football League. Any truth to this?
And, BTW, thanks for providing a ‘voice’ to real football here in the USA.
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The 10am ET/3pm GMT Saturday games aren’t broadcast in the United Kingdom to ensure that ticket sales aren’t hurt — that’s from the Premier League through to the Football League. That’s why radio is still so important in the UK — many football fans follow the commentary and live football news on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Thanks for the compliment.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Thanks for the update! I feel fairly certain that Setanta Ireland’s loss of Premier League matches spells uncertainty for Setanta USA / Canada; I fail to see how the Setanta platform can continue in the absence of any UK / Ireland connection….wait and see, I suppose.
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Setanta Ireland haven’t lost all of the Premier League games yet — there is still one package remaining that Setanta could get. Anything can happen, but Setanta North America is a separate business from Setanta UK and Ireland.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Hello guys, I’m kinda new to this website. I was considering subscribing to Setanta-i as my current cable company (Time Warner Cable) doesn’t provide setanta on its programming. I was wondering if any of you guys know how the games will be aired? Live or Delayed? Also any comment about the quality and service of Setanta-i especially during the live events would be highly appreciated. Many Thanks.
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Hi Sam,
To me, I’ve had nothing but success with Setanta-i and have been amazed by the technology and how easy it is to use to watch all of the EPL games online that are normally on Setanta Sports. Other readers have had technological issues, but if you sign up with a month-to-month plan, you can always cancel before the first month ends if it doesn’t live up to your expectations.
Read my product review of Setanta-i at http://www.epltalk.com/setanta-i-product-review/6114
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Thanks for your response pal. I can’t really wait for the Man UTD v Liverpool game on Setanta, as I missed both rounds last season. BTW thanks for all the useful information. Many thanks.
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I was a suscriber to Setanta-i, and their site is NOT mac friendly, in fact I could only use it at work on my PC. When it came time to unsubscribe, I had to file a dispute with my credit card company, and eventually had to cancel the card. I have read they are notoriously hard to cancel subscription, and my experience backed that up. So if you plan on subscribing to Setanta-i , better not have a mac (unless you are running windows on it) or plan to unsubcribe easily.
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I’ve been using Setanta-i for a few months on my MacBook and I haven’t had one problem. For new users, I would recommend signing up for one month to see how it goes. If it doesn’t work to your satisfaction, you can always cancel it.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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I have used setanta-i on a macbook pro, and it has been working around 75% of the time…
I also canceled by email, and that worked, but it took about 3 weeks to kick in. Now, sadly, I would have to sign up again.
when using setanta-I I always have one foot out the door ready to sprint/catch the subway into Manhattan to see the game in the pub if the online viewing fails..
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I am hoping that sooner rather than later FSC will start to air in HD. I doubt Setanta ever will so hopefully between FSC and maybe next season ESPN we can finally see all the games in HD. Soccer is getting a bum deal compared to other sports. The #1 sport in the world and it can’t be broadcast in HD in the US.
What’s up with that?
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As I understand it , the biggest hurdle to HD footy is that Fox and others pick up the world feed for these matches. So Fox uses its HD stuff for the NFL, but are limited by the feed they get from europe. Judging by the amount of HD programming my freinds in Germany get, I would say they are 2-3 years behind us in that respect. You should start to see more EPL and Champions League Football in HD over the next year.
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Thanks T-Bull.
Not that I don’t mind watching in SD, it’s just having seen MLB, Golf, NFL and the Olympics etc etc all shown in HD I think it’s long overdue for Soccer to also be given some HD airtime.
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Thank you for posting the US TV schedule. Since almost all of Arsenal’s game are on FSC, I am thinking that I could wait on re-subscribing to Setanta US until December. I have been holding off in case this station goes bankrupt also.
Does anyone know if there are any plans for Setanta US to be replaced with another station like ESPN for EPL coverage in the US?
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Setanta US is alive and well, at least for this coming season
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Hi ArsenalFan,
No plans as of yet. Right now, Setanta US is still alive and kicking and planning on showing the Premier League season for 09/10 along with Fox.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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A bit off the subject, and probably nobody cares, but anyone know if The Football League Show died along with Setanta UK. Also what about coverage of The Championship ?
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Hi Mark, if The Football League Show was produced by Setanta UK, then it’s gone. As far as coverage of the Championship, I believe Setanta US will continue to carry that but you also may want to check ESPN360 who showed a lot of Championship games online last season.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Thanks Gaffer. Just checked Setanta US TV schedule. Aug. 8 West Brom v Newcastle. Swans coming up soon I hope !
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Thanks The Gaffer you are the man for compiling this.
and are you going to do this again for the games starting in december?
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Hi Mike, yep that’s the plan. Be sure to check in to EPL Talk on a daily basis for updates and more news and analysis.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Am I right in saying that Setanta-i plays all the same games as Setanta US? I don’t have access to the station and was thinking about signing up for the streaming service.
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Correct JF. There may be a few exceptions, but the vast majority of TV coverage is available online. For example, all of the Premier League games shown on Setanta US are shown on Setanta-i.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Thanks, The Gaffer, for keeping us up to date with the TV schedule. It’s brilliant that you pull this together each year.
I watched Setanta-i all of last season on Time Warner and when they upgraded their system it seemed like a vast improvement…until the streaming started to pause for a second on a regular basis. A few times I lost the streaming completely. I emailed Setanta to complain but never heard back.
I plan to subscribe monthly from this month to see Man U, but I am concerned that if they didn’t have great customer service before (only available via email), with their future in doubt we can expect even less. I am not sure their technical problems have been overcome. It takes money to do so. Did anyone else have this experience? If so, what do you intend to do?
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Hey First off great site!..Hey The Setenta website is saying they’re broadcasting Russian Premier League in the 7:55 am slot and not showing the early saturday EpLgame..whats up with this? hopefully just a mistake by the website..do we know?
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Sounds like a mistake, but I have a message in to Setanta to double check. From what I gather, the Russian Premier League isn’t scheduled to kick off until 9am, so I believe it’s a mistake but I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from Setanta.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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I hope it’s a mistake. My wife is a fan of Hull City and really would like to watch the start of the season…..I also find it weird that Setanta Canada has the game on at 7:55 and it’s not on down here in the states…something smells funny….
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I checked the schedule for that game…and the CSKA Moscow game takes place Saturday at 9 am EST. So I would belive the Hull vs Chelsea will have to be on.
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Havn’t paid that close attention to Russian Premier League matches this summer, but the ones I have seen were on Sundays. Have they had any on Saturdays in the early time slot ?
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Also, on Tue./Wed.the 18th/19th many of the EPL that aren’t playing in Europe or don’t start until the group stages are playing. I know FSC will be broadcasting CL that day. Anybody know if Setanta will be showing any of the EPL matches or are they showing CL as well ?
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Not sure about the Rpl games when they’re usually shown..here’s the tues wens games on Setanta
Tuesday August 18
LIVE Sunderland vs Chelsea 2:40pm
Wigan vs Wolverhampton 4:45pm
Wednesday August 19
LIVE Burnley vs Man Utd 2:40pm
Hull vs Tottenham 4:45pm
and Fsc is showing the Liverpool Stoke at 8pm on wens
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Thanks. Where’d you find that info?
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Never mind that last part. I found it. Now here comes the really screwed up part. On Setanta Canada website the same Russian Premier match Locomotiv v CSKA is listed as being shown LIVE on Sunday the 16th@ 5:55am. The league schedule shows it Saturday@9:00. Hopefully they got Chelski confused with a Russian team and the match with Hull will be shown. This isn’t the only website with issues. FSC is advertising the Liverpool v Athletico friendly this Saturday on the air, but it doesn’t show up anywhere on their website schedule.
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Setanta has just posted their schedule up through 30 Aug. with the exception of matches for week 2 (22 Aug.). Not sure why week 2 should be any less known than their own weekly schedules or even FSC’s but it is what it is I s’pose.
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Oh yeah just to address the confusion regarding Chelsea v. Hull and the Russian league scheduling dilemma…According to soccernet.com the match between Spartak and FC Moscow is being played at 0900 on Sunday 16th. The match between Chelsea and Hull literally kicks off the EPL season and is to be played at 0745 on Saturday 15th. They must be wrong about this because City are supposed to play Blackburn at 1000 on that Saturday and to have a match being staged at 0900 would clash.
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ESPN/ Setanta i Broadband coverage.
Bit confused need some clarification
When I heard about the Setanta problems (I didn’t realize at the time that the problems were only affecting SetantaUK and not Setanta USAI cancelled my Setanta Broadband subscription and looked forward to seeing the games on ESPN and FSC. Now I discover that ESPN don’t have the rights to show the games in USA.
Unless I am totally wrong there is no change in the US coverage. The only way to see the games in USA is on FSC and Setanta i Broadband (I have Time Warner and therefore cannot get Setanta Sports).
So I should renew my Setanta Broadband?
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Colin, I would renew your Setanta Broadband subscription and keep a close eye on EPL Talk for the latest news regarding TV rights deals!
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Gaffer, anything new from Setanta on the early game? I feel like the US is getting the raw end here…
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Nothing yet. Will let you know as soon as I hear something.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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As you guys know, FSC holds the rights to all EPL games in the US and sub-licenses the games to Setanta….is it possible that FSC pulled back the Saturday morning games for themselves, or for another broadcast partner (ESPN? – yes, I know highly unlikely – but it seems very odd Setanta would change it’s schedule like that).
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ok, let it be noted that I posted the above message BEFORE the latest update on EPL Talk.
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I read that setanta have the rights to MUTV does that mean that they will show all man utd games live or on a same day tape delay?
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Man USA has gone football crazy. Im glad ESPN2 is showing the early games because i would have trouble figuring out which games i want to watch on what channel. this was hard to do when the World Football Challenge was going on during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
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Is it safe to assume that whenever ESPN has first-choice on a 10am kickoff and Manchester United is available, they will select the United game?
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Why can’t FSC show Man City vs. Man Utd.? that’s probably one of the biggest games of the year for me.
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Because Setanta Sports USA has paid FSI the big bucks (on the order of $4.75 million) for the early match on Sunday (1405 London Time or earlier kickoff) as well as a boatload of matches on Saturday at 1500 London Time.
Man City vs Man Utd kicks off at 1400 on a Sunday.
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hi,
I JUST tried to record the Chelsea game vs Hull on Saturday but it is showing fishing and softball at that time on ESPN2. What gives?
D.
wa state
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The lawyers need time to write the contracts because enough money is on the line (on the order of $4 million to $4.75 million).
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MUTV doesnt even have the rights to show man utd matches live. Sky and ESPN and others have them. When a match is on MUTV shows something else and later shows a delayed replay of the match.
In UK the 3pm games on a saturday arent shown on TV. They are on Setanta Ireland or other non UK countries.
In addition to Colins comment, I just moved to west coast USA so times for the matches are even earlier. I too am with TimeWarnerCable and was thinking of Setanta-i.
But looking at the schedule it seems i may just download the torrent of the really early matches (5.45am) and watch them later in the afternoon. Most other ones that I may be able to watch are on FSC and ESPN2. So I really dont see the point in paying a Setanta-i subscription – especially to just randomly sit down and watch it as all games are on earlier than i can watch tv.
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Gaffer, Thanks for all the info on ESPN taking over the early Sat games; I had lost all hope of watching the Chelsea/Hull game next Saturday. However, as pointed out above, the ESPN schedule does not list this match at 7.45am Eastern. Have ESPN actually made an official announcement about showing these matches, or was this an informed guess on your part? An update would be most welcome. Thanks again for a great site.
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No official announcement has been made by ESPN, but I understand that a verbal agreement has been made and it’s now a matter for the lawyers to write up the documents and to get them signed. One of the readers to the site reported that ESPN Deportes Radio confirmed that the deal was going to happen last Thursday. We should expect to hear an official announcement from ESPN in the next few days.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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yes but are we sure that all the games will be shown live and not shuffled to Deportes and/or 360? Especially during the time change overlaps in fall/spring
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espn’s listings for 15 aug still show fishing with bob on espn2 during the chelsea/hull match – seems like they’re cutting the announcement pretty close to the air date. hd or sd, quality announcers or dave o’brien, we need details on this
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2 Questions:
I live in DC (U.S.A.) and have Comcast cable. I have ESPN, ESPN2, FSC, and GolTV. Is there anyway I can subscribe to Setanta US and Setanta Xtra without having DirectTV or Dish Network?
Is there anyone besides ESPN, ESPN2, FSC, GolTV, Setanta US, and Setanta Xtra that shows European football in the US? With the 4 channels I have, I haven’t seen French Lique 1, Scottish Premier League, Italian Serie B, or Football League Championship (England) in the 4 years that I’ve been watching – are those leagues just not an option in the US?
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I’m also a DC area resident, had Comcast at my last place and just moved to a location where I could get Verizon FIOS, who also carries Setanta.
If you’re stuck with Comcast the best bet for catching games on Setanta is probably Setanta-i, their online portal. I subscribed to this last year and ran video out from my computer to my TV – they beefed up their resolution (just before becoming financially insolvent) to the point where it’s better than an SD broadcast.
Setanta shows some Ligue 1, Championship, and SPL matchups – not sure where else to get those in the US other than sketchy web feeds.
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You could always get RCN Cable in DC. Setanta is giving 3 months free to new customers. Just a thought.
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Hey Gaffer! Thanks for the great round-up of all the fixtures being shown in the US. I noticed awhile back, you mentioned that Setanta-I would be a better choice than FSC.tv. I recently received an e-mail from fsc.tv saying that they are launching new coverage on 8/15. Have you heard any information on this and what the ‘update’ will consist of?
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Just got off of the phone with ESPN Regional Head of Programing a said to me
Off of the phone with Brian R. Scheduling at ESPN and “….ESPN only holds the rights to English Premier League/EPL games in the UK only. As of today we are not scheduled to show any EPL matches here domestically..”
I did ask him why…he mentioned contract issues
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Thanks Wrayman. Nothing new, though. We know that ESPN won’t admit to having the rights to the EPL games. The key words from them are “As of today.” Once the contracts have been signed, sealed and delivered, we’ll hear the official news from ESPN.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Setanta has posted its games for 8/22, but they are jacked up. Arsenal v Portsmouth at 10 ET (Live) and then same-day coverage of Sunderland v Blackburn and then Birmingham v Stoke. The Arsenal and Birmingham games are also on the FSC schedule. Since this is a weekend with no early Saturday game, it would appear that ESPN’s 10 ET choice is still up in the air (perhaps due to the contract issues) and affecting the other channels’ choices.
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After noticing the change I e-mailed Setanta on Friday, this is the response I got today:
“The broadcasting rights to the season opener, Chelsea vs Hull, and this season’s 7:45am Saturday games, now belong to ESPN. We will still be offering extensive Premier League coverage this year, with our coverage beginning at 10am on Saturday.
Best,
James
Setanta Sports”
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hey wtf is up with this?? it says Chelsea v Hull is on espn2 @ 730 est but my dish says its like hunting or some crap?? is this a mistake?? **help fast**
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Hi Brian, the programming guides won’t update that fast. The coverage of the Chelsea v Hull game starts at 7:40am ET while the game kicks off at 7:45am ET.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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May be wrong, but I think on Dish the programing guide updates at 3:00am. Even then they’re not always right.
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If ESPN had the rights to broadcast in the US we’d hear about. ESPN not admitting as has been suggested is nonsense. Would you spend a gazillion dollars for something then keep it a secret from your viewers?
Hope I’m wrong.
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Scrumper, the deal is done. EPL Talk broke the news that ESPN2 will be showing the Premier League on US television this season beginning Saturday August 15, 2009:
http://www.epltalk.com/breaking-news-espn-to-show-chelsea-v-hull-city-game/10090
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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TV guide on my TV has no listings of soccer on ESPN… Will it show anyway??? I am in San Diego so I assume the Chelsea – Hull match will air at 5:45?
Please help.
Thanks
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Was I the only one to lose the last few minutes of time added Man U v Birmingham on Setanta-i? And I couldn’t even get back into Setanta-i again.It took ages initially to download Setanta at the start of the match. It’s time for Setanta give it up in the USA too, just like it has done in any countries. Is there any chance ESPN can take Setanta’s schedule air it on ESPN Classic? We need The Gaffer to take up the cause!
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No, Martin, I don’t think you were the only one. My problems started in the 20th min or so and continued onwards. It just started working after the match! I just watched an illegal Setanta stream. I figured I payed my money and all.
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Do you know who who owns the rights to this years UEFA Europa League? And will any games be shown on tv here this year in the US?
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Robert, the scoop is on my sister site, Champions League Talk, at http://www.championsleaguetalk.com/rumor-directv-acquires-uefa-europa-league-tv-rights-in-us/463
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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What about the Stoke v Liverpool game on Thursday (Fox Soccer Channel)?
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Gaz – that’s a delay of the Tuesday game. If you want to see it live, it is going to be played at 3 pm eastern. FSC has the rights, but is delaying it until their Champions League coverage is over.
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So the Liverpool v Stoke game for August 19 isn’t going to be live at all? Who the hell cares about Hull v Tottenham? Wankers, delay that game imo.
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Bas, you’re correct. We’re feeling the first repercussion of Fox’s Champions League coverage, which is less focus on the Premier League mid-week when the Champions League is in action.
The earliest we’ll get to see the Liverpool game is 8am ET on Fox.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
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Gaf,
I thought the game was on Thursday 8pm ET not 8am…either way it’s rubbish. I work for Fox Sports, and we have absolutely no idea how to program a schedule. The FSN networks will also be airing various Champions League and Premier League games, so you figure with all those choices at our disposal maybe we’d be a little more diverse. But apparently airing yesterday’s game between the European powerhouses FC Sheriff and Olympiacos is much more important than a Premier League game. I hate us so much
Cheers.
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