Sky & BT confirm live Premier League games for February
SOTB
Sky Sports and BT Sport have confirmed the Barclays Premier League games they will televise in February and early March as the season nears the sharp end.
The north London and Merseyside derbies, Liverpool’s home match against Manchester City and Everton’s visit to Chelsea are among the 15 matches selected for live broadcast by the two channels during this period.
As part of the newly announced schedule of matches, Sky Sports will show 13 different teams including current league leaders Chelsea, the chasing pack of Manchester City, Manchester United and high flyers West Ham United and Southampton.
Liverpool visit Goodison Park for the Merseyside derby on Saturday Night Football, before a triple header the following day, which culminates in Louis van Gaal’s United side at Upton Park to face West Ham.
Sky Sports viewers will see Liverpool three times in a month with their clash against Manchester City on Sunday, March 1, exclusively live, kicking off at 12.00pm.
Two London derbies are the centrepiece of BT Sport’s live games during February and the start of March, including the big north London game pitching Tottenham Hotspur against rivals Arsenal at White Hart Lane.
BT Sport will have a line-up of three exclusively live Barclays Premier League games in five days, as the derby is followed up by two midweek matches, last year’s runners up Liverpool at home to Spurs, then current leaders Chelsea’s home tie against Everton.
The channel will also show the Toffees’ trip south to Arsenal’s Emirates stadium on March 1, in a match that will be important for both clubs’ European ambitions.
The 2014/15 season marks the second year of both broadcaster’s three-year multi-billion pound TV deal with the Premier League, with Sky again screening 116 live games from England’s top flight and BT showcasing 38 live matches during the course of the season.
BSkyB paid a record £2.3 billion for 116 live Premier League games for three years from 2013-2016, including 20 first picks from the 38 rounds of matches, while BT paid £758 million for 38 games, including 18 first picks, although Sky gets to choose when it wants to exercise its first pick choices.
Sky Sports subscribers are set for 37 more live games between March and May, and as the campaign reaches its climax, Sky will be the home of more than three quarters of all live televised fixtures over the remainder of the season.
Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said: “Following the addition of Thierry Henry, Sky Sports has revealed a mouthwatering set of fixtures in 2015 and is the place to see all the stories as they unfold.
“By March there will still be 37 live games to come on Sky Sports, as the season reaches its thrilling climax it will be the place to watch the games that matter.”
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “We’ve got a fantastic selection of absorbing matches for BT Sport viewers over these weeks.
The intense rivalry of the north London derby never wanes and should make for a brilliant atmosphere, especially as both clubs will be looking for points to secure European places.
“We’ve also secured a midweek double to look forward to, with Barclays Premier League games on the Tuesday and Wednesday that follow. And we start March with a clash between two teams who are usually battling for places in the top six.
“And on the weekend of Valentine’s Day, we’ll also have exclusively live FA Cup matches from the fifth round when teams start dreaming of Wembley.”
Full details of February and early March’s live Premier League games on the box can be found below.
