Premier League champions to kick-off season live on Sky Sports

Friday 3 July 2015

Chelsea will begin their title defence exclusively live on Sky Sports, the first of 24 live matches from the opening seven rounds of the season. Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool will also be shown live by Sky Sports on the opening weekend.

Sky Sports will show every team live by the end of September and the schedule features 14 matches involving last season’s top four, plus huge head-to-heads including Manchester City v Chelsea, Arsenal v Liverpool and Manchester United v Liverpool

The live matches are the first of 116 Barclays Premier League fixtures to be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports with unrivalled analysis from Thierry Henry, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness.

Sky Sports viewers can enjoy another huge season of live football kicking off in August, including 127 matches from Football League - more than ever before - Capital One Cup, the climax of UEFA Euro 2016 qualification, action from Scotland in the SPFL and Scottish Cup, as well as MLS and Eredivisie.

Sky Sports Managing Director Barney Francis said: “Sky Sports will be live from the home of the champions as another Premier League season kicks off, and with these first seven rounds of games there is much to look forward to. In our opening 24 matches we will show every Premier League team, telling the complete story as the season starts to take shape, as well as the big head to heads like Man City v Chelsea and Man Utd v Liverpool.

“With 116 games from the Premier League it will be another huge season of live football on Sky Sports, with more Football League games than ever before and the Euro 2016 qualifiers come to a conclusion with all the Home Nations in with a shot at getting to France next summer.”

Global football icon Thierry Henry added: “I can’t wait for the Premier League season to begin so we can get back into the studio on Sky Sports. Starting at Chelsea everyone will be looking at them to see if they can retain their title, and on that opening weekend we also have Man City and Arsenal from last season’s top three and they will want to show they can put up a challenge.

“It’s also important that we tell the whole story of the Premier League, all 20 clubs in the first two months so we can understand each team, how they start the season will be crucial and Sky Sports will be there to show it.”

From August Sky Sports will be the only place to see the big kick-off with SPFL champions Celtic starting at home against Ross County on Saturday 1 August, and then in the Football League with Brighton welcoming Nottingham Forest on Friday 7 August, a day before Chelsea take on Swansea City in the opening game of the Premier League.

The first Super Sunday of the season will see Liverpool return to Stoke following their defeat on the final day of last season. The following day Monday Night Football returns as West Brom welcome Manchester City, and a week later Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher will be covering Bournemouth’s visit to Anfield for the first time as a Premier League club.

Monday Night Football will also see Arsenal face Liverpool in August as well as Slaven Bilic coming up against Steve McClaren when West Ham face Newcastle in September, eight years on from England’s Euro 2008 qualifier at Wembley.

As the start of the season approaches Premier League teams will be looking to make additions to their squad before the big kick-off, and Sky Sports News HQ will follow all the transfer news through to deadline day and keep fans up to date on all the breaking stories from their club.

Sky Sports will offer at least four more seasons of the Premier League, with 116 lives games coming this season increasing to 126 each term from the 2016/17 season.

Sky Sports live Premier League fixtures:

August

Chelsea v Swansea City Sat 8 Aug 5.30pm

Arsenal v West Ham United Sun 9 Aug 1.30pm

Stoke City v Liverpool Sun 9 Aug 4pm

West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City Mon 10 Aug 8pm

Aston Villa v Manchester United Fri 14 Aug 7.45pm

Crystal Palace v Arsenal Sun 16 Aug 1.30pm

Manchester City v Chelsea Sun 16 Aug 4pm

Liverpool v Bournemouth Mon 17 Aug 8pm

West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea Sun 23 Aug 1.30pm

Everton v Manchester City Sun 23 Aug 4pm