Sunday 7 August 2016 18:34, UK
Gary Neville will return to Sky Sports for the launch of its biggest ever season of Premier League football in August with a new range of programming and experts.
The two-time RTS winner is back at Sky Sports as expert analyst and commentator, taking his place alongside Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness.
The former Manchester United defender will also join Carragher for guest appearances on Sky Sports' award-winning Monday Night Football.
This season Sky Sports will show 126 matches including 26 first picks, providing even more value to customers. The schedule of live matches begins with four games in three days, featuring champions Leicester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
For the first time, Sky Sports will show up to ten live matches on Friday evenings. Coverage of these fixtures will be presented by Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley alongside guests from inside and outside the world of sport.
David Jones will present Super Sunday and Monday Night Football, while Simon Thomas will host Saturday lunchtime matches. Hayley McQueen will present Game of the Day beginning at 8.30pm Saturday evenings, as well as live 3pm Saturday fixtures for viewers in the Republic of Ireland.
Gary Hughes, Head of Football for Sky Sports, said: "It's Sky Sports' biggest ever Premier League season and our viewers can enjoy the best matches, the best analysis and the best shows.
"Following Leicester City's incredible triumph, we all know anything can happen this season and Sky Sports viewers can watch all the stories unfold at both ends of the table from next month through to May."
Leicester's defence of the Premier League starts on Sky Sports 1 at 11.30 on Saturday, August 13 when they visit newly promoted Hull City.
Neville said: "I am delighted to be rejoining Sky Sports and can't wait for the start of the new football season, especially as there will be a variety of new programming on the channel.
"It is important for me that my role will be slightly different, and I am looking forward to the challenge of working on some new, creative and exciting projects."
Friday:
- Fantasy Football Club - Hosts Max Rushden, Paul Merson, Rachel Riley and guests including Premier League legends give their predictions to the weekend's matches.
- Friday Night Football - The weekend of live Premier League football starts here. Jeff Stelling is joined by Rachel Riley and guests for a brand new show of ten Friday evening fixtures a season starting at 6.30pm.
Saturday:
- Soccer AM - Fenners, Helen Chamberlain and the team kick off the nation's football day at 10.00am with a mix of fun features, guests and interviews with stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment.
- Premier League Live - At the heart of Saturday's schedule, this brand new slot of matches presented by Simon Thomas is the centre-piece of a full day of live football. Coverage begins at 11.30am building up to kick off at 12.30pm.
- Soccer Saturday - Jeff Stelling and panellists Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson, Paul Merson and Matt Le Tissier provide the ultimate guide through all Saturday's matches from across the leagues from 12.00pm, with live scores from 3.00pm.
- Game of the Day & Match Choice - Hayley McQueen presents coverage of one of the day's outstanding matches from 8.30pm, and will be joined in the studio by a special guest to analyse and review another of the day's key games from 10.30pm.
Sunday:
- Sunday Supplement - Starting off a Sunday of football, presenter Neil Ashton and a panel of Fleet St's finest football writers join together for lively discussion on the stories shaping the game from 9.00am.
- Goals on Sunday - Chris Kamara, Ben Shephard and guests take an in-depth look at the goals and talking points from the weekend's matches so far from 10.00am.
- Super Sunday - David Jones presents back to back coverage of two of the weekend's biggest games on Sunday afternoon from 12.30pm with more interviews and analysis from the tunnel, touchline and gantry from Sky's unrivalled team of experts.
Monday:
- Monday Night Football - Presented by David Jones, Jamie Carragher and guests use the latest technology to analyse and review the live match and have the final say on the weekend's football in the RTS award-winning show from 7.00pm.
From this season, Sky Sports customers can use the expanded mobile clips service delivered by the Sky Sports Football Score Centre app to watch all the goals from Saturday's matches on their mobile devices from 5.15pm. Sky Sports viewers can also watch extended match highlights of all matches on demand from midnight.
For viewers in the Republic of Ireland, 33 Premier League matches across the season will be available to view in a regular slot at 3pm on Saturday afternoons. Former Premier League player, manager and club chairman Niall Quinn will join presenter Hayley McQueen in the studio for coverage of the matches.
For the first time on Sky Sports, customers with the Sky Q Silver subscription will be able to watch 124 live matches across the season in the enhanced detail and clarity of Ultra HD. Sky Q Silver viewers will also be able to enjoy exclusive blockbuster movies, documentaries and brand new dramas as part of the UK's most comprehensive Ultra HD service.
Sky Sports customers can look forward to more football than ever before this season, with over 700 games, including 126 from the Premier League and 127 matches from the Sky Bet EFL, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy. Also available is SPFL football including every Old Firm derby, as well as hundreds of matches from Spain's La Liga, the Copa del Rey Final, the William Hill Scottish Cup, the Eredivisie, Chinese Super League and MLS. Sky Sports will also show exclusively live coverage of the qualification matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as highlights of England's matches.
