Sky will broadcast its first ever free-to-air live match on the opening day of the new season amid its escalating battle with BT Sport.
As part of a revamped schedule, it will show its 5.30pm Premier League kick-off live on 17 August as well as a Football League match live at lunchtime as part of a new show called FL72.
The bold move is an attempt to spike the guns of BT Sport, which has spent £738m over three years securing the rights to 38 live matches per season.
Last month, it announced it would make its three sports channels available free to BT Broadband subscribers and unveiled plans to try and retain viewers throughout the day after snaring them with its live Saturday lunchtime Premier League games.
BT has promised a fresh and innovative new approach to sports programming, with its anchor Jake Humphrey fronting its coverage from a new HQ at the Olympic Park in front of a studio audience.
But Sky has hit back by unveiling a revamped schedule that will also seek to keep viewers hooked throughout the day and promising more live football than ever before.
Sky, which has dominated sports broadcasting for the past two decades and seen off a string of rivals, has paired Dave Jones with Jamie Redknapp for a new Saturday Night Football show.
It will include Jeff Stelling's Soccer Saturday coverage, followed by its 5.30pm live Premier League match and by delayed coverage of one of the afternoon kick-offs and its interactive Football First service.
It has also confirmed that Jamie Carragher, signed as a pundit after he retired from playing, will join Gary Neville on its flagship Monday Night Football show.
In the face of BT's marketing onslaught, Sky is keen to emphasise it still has vastly more Premier League matches – 116 live games for which it is paying £2.3bn over three years – and its range of live sport.
"It's our biggest ever season of Premier League football and we're inviting every home in Britain to enjoy the opening day," said the Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis. "All fans can join the action as we launch our new Saturday schedule for the most eagerly awaited Premier League season in years."
Sky Sports 1 will shift to Sky 2 for the day, allowing Sky viewers who do not subscribe to the sports package to watch for nothing, and on Freeview and YouView services it will take over Pick TV for the day.
Sky and BT are currently going head to head in picking their first tranche of live matches, with the results expected to be announced in the first week of July. BT has emphasised its 15 "first pick" matches, but Sky still retains the upper hand because it can decide which weekends it has first choice on.
Sky is believed to have had a special projects team, dubbed "Project Purple", working for months on ways to undermine BT's launch plans.
The most attractive matches of the weekend are likely to be David Moyes' debut as Manchester United manager away to Swansea, José Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge against Hull City, and Manuel Pellegrini's first match as Manchester City manager at home to Newcastle United.
BT responded by saying: "BT Sport is free every day of the season for BT broadband customers, not just free for one day.
"We are pleased to see that our arrival has prompted Sky to attempt to raise its game, but this stunt does not disguise the fact that this season they have fewer top pick matches.
"BT Sport customers will enjoy 38 live Barclays Premier League matches this season, including almost half of the top picks, so fans have a real choice of quality live sport on Saturdays for the first time in Premier League history. We think that means BT Sport is an essential part of the mix for sports fans."
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As for those of us sitting there with Virgin Media, not sure what we're going to get out of this, but it doesn't look like we're going to be winners in the short term
Sky have used subsidised broadband to sell their excessively over priced TV packages. BT are just doing the opposite. Free football in exchange for broadband.
Where I live on Kings Hill there is a company offering wireless broadband with no need for a land line telephone at all. With a mobile contract that includes unlimited minutes I don't need a telephone in my home at all any more. Line rental is something like £15 a month - £180 a year. I can see more and more of these wireless broadband providers eating into BT's income. If they offer free football to those that have their broadband (£20 a month) that requires a phone line (£15 a month) that £246m a year for 38 live games looks very cheap to me. It only takes 586k homes to pay for it, and that's before they factor in the revenue they will receive from those that don't have BT broadband but will buy a subscription.
I also think this will hit Sky as BT will, no doubt, be cheaper. Sure there will be fewer matches, but I suspect that 38 games on the TV, plus the CL, the FA Cup and international games, is enough for many people - especially if they include some of the big games.
Complete mug
BT are offering what appears to be a decent selection of games, free for anyone who has BT broadband (which is already a large %). Over the next few years they will no doubt see migration from Sky subscribers who are looking to save money, but still want some live sport.
I have never had Sky Sports simply due to the price.
But I will now get unlimited BT Infinity broadband, inclusive evening/weekend calls, and BT Vision (including the box and the BT Sport channels) all for £26 a month (excl. line rental). The companies that have tried and failed before to challenge Sky (ITV Digital, ESPN etc) were never able to offer a package as attractive.
I'm saving myself money and getting more for my buck. Might cost a touch more in year 2 but nothing significant.
I'll stick to the odd trip down the pub if there's a game I want to seeit's good that the Dirty Digger won't have it all his own way with BT also now on the scene.
quite happy with all that free for one day.
Just wish we were on instead of those two goons. Would have been good exposure for the club I think, but sky's precious leeds have to get it instead.