Reading FC on U.S. TV: check here for updates

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Right kids, here's what we know thru the international break (see first post in this thread for the whole schmear in day-planner format; all times Eastern U.S.):

--Man Utd v. Reading on Sunday 12th August screens LIVE on FSC from 11:00 AM; repeats same-day from 11:00 PM and again during the following week; the Sky Sports Fan Zone feed of the match will screen first-time from 8:00 PM on Monday the 13th and repeat from 11:00 PM (8:00 on the West Coast)

--Reading v. Chelsea on Wednesday 15th August screens LIVE on FSC from 3:00 PM; repeats same-day from 8:00 PM and again during the week

--Reading v. Everton on Saturday 18th August does not appear on any of the posted U.S. broadcast schedules and is all but certain not to be shown here (same story with the identical fixture last season --hmmm...)

--Bolton v. Reading on Saturday 25th August does not yet appear on any of the posted schedules; we're waiting for Setanta US to weigh in with its selection for the featured live 3:00 kickoff for that date, and we should know more by next Monday

--Reading v. West Ham on Saturday 1st September screens LIVE on Setanta Xtra US from 10:00 AM and likely will screen during the afternoon on the regular Setanta US channel

Again, to see all of this laid out in day-planner format, have a butcher's at the first post in this thread --indeed, make a habit of it. All matches scheduled for screening in the States for the next two weeks are listed; all that is known and may be speculated with reason about Reading matches is highlighted; and there's stuff in there about the weekly Prem highlights show, Euro qualifying and even listings for L.A. GaLOLaxy matches as a courtesy to those on BeckhamWatch.

All the best to y'all, and here's to a season well worth remembering. Come on U Rzzzzz!!!

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Got some really good news this morning: Saturday's home match with Everton has been added to the schedule for a LIVE screening on FSC at 10:00 AM Eastern. They originally were going to show Tottenham-Derby, but Setanta grabbed that away after Blackburn-Arsenal was moved to Sunday, and FSC picked up RFC-Everton for its featured Saturday match. Look at us, eh!

Tonite, Monday the 13th, FSC will be screening the Sky Sports Fan Zone feed of Sunday's match from Old Trafford at 8:00 and 11:00 PM Eastern (5:00 and 8:00 on the West Coast).

Wednesday's home match with Chelsea remains on the schedule for a LIVE screening on FSC from 3:00 PM Eastern.

FSC also have added the nightly 6:00 PM Sky Sports News report to their weekday schedule at noon Eastern (9:00 AM West Coast). They will continue to screen the nightly 11:00 PM SSN report on an hour's delay from 7:00 PM Eastern.

In other news, Setanta US have posted their live match schedule thru November, and FSC's is out thru the end of September. It has to be said that both are doing a much better job of getting the word out well in advance, and they're certainly making my job a hell of a lot easier.

RFC don't appear on Setanta's schedule much thru the end of November(Sunderland away on 15th September is the only one that springs to mind), so it must be hoped that FSC will be picking up a fair few October and November matches for screening in the States --so do watch this space, and we'll advise once those schedules are posted.

With that, the home match with Derby on Sunday 7th October may not screen in the States (I'd had it marked down as a live Setanta match, but such isn't the case). That weekend's fixtures are heavily loaded on the Sunday, and there is some overlapping; it's possible that FSC may pick it up and run it as a special as they did with Arsenal-Fulham over the last weekend; stay tuned.

For a full breakdown of all upcoming scheduled screenings of interest in the States, please see the first post to this thread at the top of Page 1 --and have a nice day.

[seahawk10]

Great job as usual Chicago! It does seem that having Setanta is going to be more important than ever this season. I may have to look into getting DirectTV.

[glosson]

Dishnetwork just started carrying Setanta as well. I'm east coast US...so now the bases are covered, eh? I'm in Greensboro NC.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

So for those who hadn't heard, the rearrangement of Blackburn-Arsenal to Sunday opened up a spot on FSC to add a match, and they've added RFC-Everton for Saturday at 10:00 AM Eastern US time.

Bolton on Saturday week won't screen in the States, but there's FSC's "Super Sunday Plus" with extended highlights and commentary from 1:00 PM Eastern on Sunday the 26th, plus the weekly Premier League Review show from 8:00 PM that evening.

The following weekend, RFC-West Ham screens live in the States on Setanta Xtra and likely will be repeated on the regular Setanta US channel in the early midafternoon.

In between, next Wednesday's England-Germany friendly screens on a same-day delayed basis on FSC from 5:00 PM, right after the U.S. take on Sweden in a friendly live on FSC.

After all of that, it's the international break, and while Euro qualifying fare galore will screen on the U.S. platforms, exact schedules are not yet final. If interested in detailed listings of upcoming screenings of interest in the U.S., please as always see the first post to this thread.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

No live or delayed U.S. screenings of the match away to Bolton are scheduled.

First crack at extended highlights likely will be Sunday from 1:00 PM Eastern on FSC's "Super Sunday+" highlights and commentary show right after United-Tottenham ends, and the Premier League Review Show screens first-time on FSC from 8:00 PM Sunday and repeats on Monday from 6:00 PM.

The home match with West Ham on 1st September is scheduled to screen live in the States on Setanta Xtra, after which the international break is upon us.

For additional listings information in the U.S. regarding RFC, the Premier League, Serie A and Euro 2008 qualifying, please see the first post in this thread.

[seahawk10]

I am a lazy git and rely on this thread more than I should. But could I ask a favor? When a match isn't scheduled to air on US TV, could you still list the time of the match? Then I know when to get my sopcast or pirated setanta stream cued up. Something like this on page 1:

Saturday 25th August --Bolton v. Reading not scheduled for U.S. screening
7:45 AM Sunderland v. Liverpool live on Setanta US
10:00 AM Bolton v. Reading not scheduled for U.S. screening
10:00 AM Arsenal v. Man City live on FSC
10:00 AM Chelsea v. Pompey live on Setanta US
10:00 AM Villa v. Fulham live on Setanta Xtra
12:15 PM Everton v. Blackburn live on FSC
12:15 PM CCC: Sheff Y'all v. WBA live on Setanta US
2:30 PM Serie A: Juve v. Livorno live on FSC
4:30 PM Serie A: Lazio v. Torino live on FSC

Saves me a step from having to go to the crap site that is espn soccernet to get the time. (Yes, I am lazy). Thanks!

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Consider it now and henceforth a matter of poLOLicy.

I should mention that, as a general rule, any RFC match that doesn't screen via regular platforms in the States would be a 3:00 (10:00 AM Eastern U.S.) Saturday kickoff, as all but a few of the other kickoff times are those that have been moved for UK TV and, in turn, we get 'em live here somewhere.

Standard exceptions would be when there's an extra early Sunday match slipped in (i.e., Derby on Sunday 7th October, of which we still don't know what's the deal), or if there's a substantial slate of fixtures on a bank holiday, in midweek, on Boxing Day and on New Year's Day.

But then, that's all inside baseball innit. Job done.

[seahawk10]

Thanks much! And good insight on the normal game time on Saturdays. Your work on this is much appreciated. I am going back and forth on whther to subscribe to Setanta online, switch to Direct TV or just continue to watch online via the free stream. The quaLOLity of the stream online will determine it for me. The Chelsea game had great video but audio from a tennis match. (Watched it online from work then re-watched my DVR'd version to actually hear the commentary). So we shall see...

[BillBrasky]

Is anyone listening to these 2 oxf*rd shouting at each other on Fan Zone on FSC right now? By far the worst one I've heard and makes the game unwatchable. It's the Liverpool-Chelsea game, not that I care, I just had to complain somewhere.

[hiro]

Is anyone listening to these 2 oxf*rd shouting at each other on Fan Zone on FSC right now? By far the worst one I've heard and makes the game unwatchable. It's the Liverpool-Chelsea game, not that I care, I just had to complain somewhere.

Yes, I am listening.

[Geekins]

I wish i lived in the USA, seems you can watch every game live on TV.

[PremAddict]

Just wondering - for those that live in the UK, does Sky or other offer the option of viewing EVERY match? Or are there inevitably the odd matches that no one can view except live?

I'm wondering b/c if they are all televised by some outfit or another, wouldn't it make sense to offer a "complete EPL" package to those of us here? I have to think that there are a lot of fans of the "2nd tier" clubs that would gladly purchase that option if it were available.

We have it for every US league. Why not foreign ones?

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Just wondering - for those that live in the UK, does Sky or other offer the option of viewing EVERY match? Or are there inevitably the odd matches that no one can view except live?

I'm wondering b/c if they are all televised by some outfit or another, wouldn't it make sense to offer a "complete EPL" package to those of us here?

Three things dictate consumer choice: the Premier League, money and the law. I don't have all of the precise details at my command, but here's a general summary that should help to answer your questions.

In the UK and across the globe, the Premier League acts collectively in cutting its own broadcast deals with the aim of making as much money as possible, and whether they act in preference for the long or short term is up to them.

Due to what I belive to be EU laws regarding restraint of trade/monopoly, they had to bid out UK TV rights in four packages when everything came up for renewal effective the end of last season (they may even have been forced to do so before the end of the existing deal; I don't recall exactly); that's why not only Sky but Setanta are now in the mix over there.

In the years leading up to that point, Sky effectively had a domestic broadcast monopoly on televised Premier League matches, and that's a no-no under the law, so competitive bids were solicited and submitted, and now they have the system that's in place for whatever the duration is. As far as I know, BBC (or anyone else) could've got in on it had they wanted to and if they were willing to shell out whatever money and for however long it would've been required.

The Premier League deals on a nation by nation basis for radio as well as and TV broadcast rights. BBC have British broadcast and streaming radio rights at the local (e.g., BBC Radio Berkshire for Reading matches) and national (Radio Five Live) levels (exclusive of restricted-access streaming rights via their own websites that the clubs retain, of course), but that's exclusive to the UK; we can't stream 5Live or BBCRB here because Sirius Satellite Radio have exclusive radio broadcast rights, as negotiated with the Premier League, in the U.S. and Canada.

For televised Premier League matches, the UK goes dark at 3:00 local time on Saturdays, when the majority of matches kick off; Sky run a studio show that features experts sitting around watching TV feeds of the matches and making comments, and the viewer doesn't see what the expert panel sees.

I would guess that the aim of that would be, in accordance with Premier League policy rooted in basic business sense, to get fans to the grounds rather than have them sit at home watching on TV --makes sense if, just f'rinstance, Blackburn are hosting Wigan at the same time that Arsenal are hosting Liverpool in a crunch match; if you're Blackburn (and by extension the Premier League), you don't want the latter game on national TV and your home support blowing off an unattractive match at Ewood Park in favor of sitting at home and watching the Gunners and Reds do battle.

As for things in the States, Fox Soccer Channel --Sky's blood sibling, if you will-- owns the exclusive U.S. rights to screen Premier League matches and has farmed a portion of them out to the U.S. incarnation of Setanta; reason being, FSC/News Corp./Murdoch can make more money that way.

Used to be that two matches were farmed out for pay-per-view each weekend (one of the Saturday 3:00 kickoffs and either the early or late stand-alone match on Sunday; can't remember which); however, they discovered that they could make more money farming out matches to Setanta than to PPV, and so they now do --which is good for the U.S. consumer, who need not pay out of pocket to watch Premier League matches anymore.

Even with things like NFL Sunday Ticket in the States, blackout restrictions do apply. If an NFL team doesn't sell out a home game, the local free-to-air broadcast affiliate cannot screen the game, and DirecTV has to play along in the local market under the terms of the deal with --after all-- the NFL. It's all done with the intention, in both cases, of maximizing profits while protecting the economic interests of the local clubs, and the twin aims are in many respects synonymous.

[PremAddict]

Thanks RC - that was an extremely good bit of information.

For televised Premier League matches, the UK goes dark at 3:00 local time on Saturdays, when the majority of matches kick off;

That fact is amazing to me.

Again thanks.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

As previously noted, Reading v. West Ham screens live on Setanta Xtra on Saturday 1st September from 10:00 AM Eastern.

Setanta's listings for repeat screenings are in an absolute mess right now, but as things currently stand, the match is scheduled to repeat same-day on Setanta US from 2:30 PM and 9:30 PM, and twice again on Sunday from 6:45 AM and 5:30 PM --although any and all of that could change once Setanta pull their heads out of their collective arse, the morons (I sent 'em an email this morning that is certain to redden the eyes of anyone who bothers to read it).

A more complete listing of TV fare of interest in the States may be viewed in the first post to this thread, and that includes a partial listing for the upcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers. To remind, all of England's (non-friendly)matches screen here on Setanta Premium, which means either a pay-per-view for those who are subscribed to Setanta US or $20 at the pub, which gets one the full slate of the day's Setanta Premium PPV fare in exchange.

Coming out of the break, the match away to Sunderland remains scheduled to screen live on Setanta US from 10:00 AM Eastern on Saturday 15th September.

Anyway, check out the first post to this thread for full details, and enjoy.

[Fitzroy]

I wish i lived in the USA, seems you can watch every game live on TV.

You can come and live in Australia as well if you like. We now have "Live and Interactive", basically EVERY Saturday game is live. This includes all the other Live games televised into the U.K (Sunday's and Monday). You get to choose your own preference out of the 5 live games at 3pm Saturday! And yes, I've watched every single Reading game this season, and Saturday's Bolton trip was very ordinary at best!

[willz_royal]

Just wondering - for those that live in the UK, does Sky or other offer the option of viewing EVERY match?

nope, but BT offer all games in full a couple of hours after final whistle for a fee

[BillBrasky]

I'm trying out Setanta Broadband and it's pretty nice. They put the Setanta Xtra games on a 2nd broadband channel so if you don't have a way to watch it then that's an option. They have plenty of other matches even if you don't like rugby or Irish Australian Gaelic whatever you call it so it's worth 11.99 for a month. Plus they keep all their games archived so you can watch them whenever you want to.

[seahawk10]

Good shout Bill on Setanta broadband. I am very close to making the leap myself.

Is there any chance of the Swansea game being on Sopcast or something similar?