The first live television fixtures of the 2015-16 Premier League season have been chosen, with both Sky Sports and BT Sport announcing which matches they will show through August and September.
The first match of the season, Manchester United v Tottenham, will be shown on BT Sport on Saturday 8 August in a lunchtime kick-off. Indeed, all seven matches BT Sport will show in the first two months will be Saturday lunchtime kick-offs. Sky will show 23 matches over that period, with only five fixtures featuring two teams that did not finish in the top six last season.
The two broadcasters will pay an average of £6.5m per game, an average that will rise the following season to more than £10m per game after the landmark £5.14bn TV deal announced in February.
Fans of the teams promoted into the Premier League from the Championship – Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich – will be left disappointed as their teams will each be shown only once over the two months. Stoke, Sunderland and Leicester will also be given only a sole airing, whereas Manchester United will be shown six times and Arsenal and Chelsea five.
August
(all times BST)
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, Saturday 8 August, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Chelsea v Swansea City, Saturday 8 August, 5.30pm (Sky)
Arsenal v West Ham United, Sunday 9 August, 1.30pm (Sky)
Stoke City v Liverpool, Sunday 9 August, 4pm (Sky)
West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City, Monday 10 August, 8pm (Sky)
Aston Villa v Manchester United, Friday 14 August, 7.45pm (Sky)
Southampton v Everton, Saturday 15 August, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Crystal Palace v Arsenal, Sunday 16 August, 1.30pm (Sky)
Manchester City v Chelsea, Sunday 16 August, 4pm (Sky)
Liverpool v Bournemouth, Monday 17 August, 8pm (Sky)
Manchester United v Newcastle United, Saturday 22 August, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea, Sunday 23 August, 1.30pm (Sky)
Everton v Manchester City, Sunday 23 August, 4pm (Sky)
Arsenal v Liverpool, Monday 24 August, 8pm (Sky)
Newcastle United v Arsenal, Saturday 29 August, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton, Saturday 29 August, 5.30pm (Sky)
Southampton v Norwich City, Sunday 30 August, 1.30pm (Sky)
Swansea City v Manchester United, Sunday 30 August, 4pm (Sky)
September
(all times BST)
Everton v Chelsea, Saturday 12 September, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Manchester United v Liverpool, Saturday 12 September, 5.30pm (Sky)
Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday 13 September, 1.30pm (Sky)
Leicester City v Aston Villa, Sunday 13 September, 4pm (Sky)
West Ham United v Newcastle United, Monday 14 September, 8pm (Sky)
Chelsea v Arsenal, Saturday 19 September, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Manchester City v West Ham United, Saturday 19 September, 5.30pm (Sky)
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace, Sunday 20 September, 1.30pm (Sky)
Southampton v Manchester United, Sunday 20 September, 4pm (Sky)
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Saturday 26 September, 12.45pm (BT Sport)
Newcastle United v Chelsea, Saturday 26 September, 5.30pm (Sky)
Watford v Crystal Palace, Sunday 27 September, 4pm (Sky)
West Bromwich Albion v Everton, Monday 28 September, 8pm (Sky)
