[randomusername2]

Can anyone comment on the scheduling of the most desirable games? Sportsnet has been getting the second rate games the last couple of season. It seems they'd get stuck with West Brom v Fulham while Arsenal was playing Chelsea or something of the like.

I had hope last year with the downfall of Setanta in Europe that this was going to end but no luck. Will there be a better selection on Sportsnet this year?

 

[22justin]

thank God for The Score...greatest sports network in Canada....im already in a cold sweat for the new Serie A season...and now its gonna be on basic cable.

 

[Tpop]

Can anyone comment on the scheduling of the most desirable games? Sportsnet has been getting the second rate games the last couple of season. It seems they'd get stuck with West Brom v Fulham while Arsenal was playing Chelsea or something of the like.

I had hope last year with the downfall of Setanta in Europe that this was going to end but no luck. Will there be a better selection on Sportsnet this year?

randomusername2,

As far scheduling goes for the upcoming EPL season Sportsnet will now have the 12:30pm saturday(previously on Setanta) match which usually features one of the big clubs. The downside to this is that because the Score no longer has the EPL, the 11am sunday match will shift to Setanta. Whenever Manu play chealsea or Arsenal it is at that timeslot. TSN2 by the way will have the 7:45am saturday match. Sportsnet will still get the second choice match for 10am Sat so to answer your question unless you have Setanta you will get the less sexier match. I guess if they shift more of the good matches from Setanta to Sportsnet then they would be devaluing Setanta and couldn't justify the $15 they charge. Setanta's downfall in the UK only affected their US operations, as far as I know Setanta Canada and Setanta Australia are still in good shape.

 

[NB Josh]

Whenever Manu play chealsea or Arsenal it is at that timeslot.

This isn't completely true. During a weekend before a European knockout round late in the season the big matches are played on Saturday at 7:45am ET so English clubs have longer to prepare for their European match.

 

[Tpop]

This isn't completely true. During a weekend before a European knockout round late in the season the big matches are played on Saturday at 7:45am ET so English clubs have longer to prepare for their European match.

My bad NB Josh, I was basically trying to say that if two of the big four (big five if you count Man City) play each other it won't be in the 10am Sat slot.

 

[NB Josh]

Yep I knew what you meant, I was just clarifying it.

 

[randomusername2]

It's really too bad about the 10am Saturday slot as this is the traditional kick-off time.

I have no idea how Setanta kept the best games for Canadian TV after they forfeited their rights in the UK. I still haven't forgiven them from taking the Rugby World Cup from TSN.

 

[DT1]

Rogers owns a majority of Setanta Canada they would hardly put all the good games on RSN and doom their own channel.

TV rights are sold on a country by country basis and Setanta UK had no effect on Setanta Canada since they are all separate companies.

 

[NB Josh]

Here is the Premier League on TSN2 schedule until the end of November. They will air a game every Saturday, at 7:45 when one is available and at 10:00 when there is no 7:45 game. They will also have Monday games with a half hour pregame before the match. No word on where the pregame will come from.

 

[The White Pele]

Now for the Sportsnet and Setanta schedules. Wonder if they'll be released this week or not.

 

[Tpop]

White Pele,

Got this from Bigsoccer

Canada is all set for opening weekend (all times US Central):

Saturday - 14 August 2010:

..6:45am Tottenham v Man City TSN2 + RDS
..9:00am Aston Villa v West Ham SETANTA
..9:00am Blackburn v Everton SETANTA (11:30am)
..9:00am Bolton v Fulham SETANTA (7:30pm)
..9:00am Sunderland v Birmingham SETANTA (4:00pm)
..9:00am Wigan v Blackpool SPORTSNET REGIONALS
..9:00am Wolverhampton v Stoke SETANTA (5:45pm)
11:30am Chelsea v West Brom SPORTSNET1

Sunday - 15 August 2010:

10:00am Liverpool v Arsenal SETANTA

Monday - 16 August 2010:

..2:00pm Man United v Newcastle TSN2


RED = LIVE
BLUE = DELAYED ONLY

SA
www.socceraction.info

 

[NB Josh]

Now for the Sportsnet and Setanta schedules. Wonder if they'll be released this week or not.

I'm not really sure what you are expecting as far as a schedule from Sportsnet or Setanta. Sportsnet One will air the 12:30pm Saturday game, Setanta will air first pick of 10am Saturday, Sportsnet will air second pick of 10am Saturday and Setanta will air all Sunday and Tuesday/Wednesday games.

So you can see Sportsnet One and Setanta's schedules by going to the Premier League website and just looking at what games are on in their broadcast windows. You can see Setanta's (likely) 10am games by looking at Setanta Ireland's broadcast schedule because they usually air the same game. As for Sportsnet's 10am games, your guess is as good any mine (or anyone else's), but it will probably be announced only a week or two in advance.

 

[Steele-in-HD]

I didn't see this already sorry if it was already posted:

"Setanta Sports, our 24/7 channel in Canada, is available for a residential monthly fee of $14.99 through:

Bell TV (Channel 420), Cogeco (Channel 421), Rogers (Channel 429), Rogers HD (Channel 569) Shaw (Channel 154), Star Choice (Channel 239) and NEXTV. Or, click here for more information on Regional Carriers."

from http://www.setanta.com/ca/Our-Channels/SETANTA-SPORTS/


Looks like Rogers is the only confirmed HD carrier right now. Presumably $14.99 gets you the high def and standard def channels.

For TSN 2 you need the HD Specialty pak @ $8.95 per month.

 

[milton123]

Any news on SetantaSports HD and SportsnetOne SD\HD on Cogeco?
Also, any info on Cogeco offering Setanta in free preview for the next two weeks?

The EPL starts this Saturday ... and it seems like one could catch all the games only with Rogers. Not an option for me


Thank you.

 

[thriftynomad]

Well, with the exception of the blurry movement on Setanta, it has been pretty cool to have an entire schedule of HD Premier League action!

As someone mentioned from the last page of this thread, it looks like that 24/7 Premier League feed is being used by Setanta and Sportsnet for their coverage.

Setanta actually left Setanta Ireland for their halftime coverage of AV/W Ham and stuck with the Premier League Productions "Matchday Live" coverage... which was great. Too bad they cut off the match recap at the end of the match to show 20 minutes of old filler from the SPL!!

I still find the jerky motion on Setanta HD makes football almost unwatchable, but it's a good start and the widescreen and the absence of the giant yellow and black logo is much better than last year.

 

[NB Josh]

Yea Setanta is hard to watch, I don't remember it being that bad in the past.

Manchester City-Tottenham looked great on TSN2 (via ESPN2) this morning, too bad 2/3s of their studio crew is hard to listen to. It was nice to see a game in HD on Sportsnet, and it was even nicer to see Blackpool play so well.

I watched the halftime on Setanta because I wanted to see what it was like (and because Dobson and Forrest are annoying), and I was impressed. The Premier League showed that it is easily the world leader in producing programming for its league and providing it to broadcasters around the world. My only complain is that those new graphics almost look too flashy.

 

[Andrew1]

too bad 2/3s of their studio crew is hard to listen to.

Who were the ESPN talking heads?

Also, since I don't get Rogers Sportsnet One where are they getting their coverage from? I'm guessing it is ESPN UK as they got the old Setanta UK TV package that included the late Saturday match.

 

[The White Pele]

I have to agree about the Setanta HD quality. When watching the Spurs v Man City game from the ESPN HD feed, it was miles better. Blackpool v Wigan on Sportsnet also looked superior to Setanta. The jumpy picture is also getting on my nerves.

 

[NB Josh]

Who were the ESPN talking heads?

Also, since I don't get Rogers Sportsnet One where are they getting their coverage from? I'm guessing it is ESPN UK as they got the old Setanta UK TV package that included the late Saturday match.

ESPN's studio had Max Bretos, Alexi Lalas and Robbie Mustoe. They used the international commentary feed with Peter Drury and Efan Ekoku.

I think Sportsnet One is probably using the international commentators too. I know that Dobson and Forrest are the studio crew, with a pre and post game edition of SoccerCentral.

 

[Andrew1]

ESPN's studio had Max Bretos, Alexi Lalas and Robbie Mustoe. They used the international commentary feed with Peter Drury and Efan Ekoku.

Well, at least the commentary team is good. Lalas was a decent enough player - I remember him playing a couple of seasons at Padua in Serie A in the mid-90s - but he's a complete blowhard as an analyst. I noticed during the World Cup if a team was mostly white he almost always said they weren't athletic enough to compete. And as far as I know he hasn't retracted his claim that MLS is as good as EPL.