Sky and ESPN announce initial 2012 Premier League fixtures

Just 23 games will be shown on ESPN, while Sky have acquired the rights to broadcast 115, beginning with Wigan’s showdown against Champion’s League winners Chelsea on Sunday 19 August.

ESPN’s first broadcast game of the season will be Newcastle v Tottenham, which will take place the day before, on Saturday 18 August. The channel will then broadcast Chelsea v Newcastle United as its sole remaining game before September.

Here’s how ESPN’s schedule shapes up (NB, all ESPN games will be broadcast at 5:30pm):

August
Saturday 18: Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday 25: Chelsea v Newcastle United

September
Saturday 1: Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers
Saturday 15: Sunderland v Liverpool
Saturday 29: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur

October
Saturday 6: West Ham United v Arsenal
Saturday 20: Norwich City v Arsenal
Saturday 27th: Manchester City v Swansea City

November
Saturday 3: West Ham United v Manchester City
Saturday 17: Norwich City v Manchester United
Saturday 24: Aston Villa v Arsenal

ESPN Europe’s vice president, TV channels Jeroen Oerlemans said: "Football fans watching ESPN's Barclays Premier League coverage in the coming months will be able to follow the very top sides as well as the newly-promoted outfits.

"Alongside ESPN's offering of top football coverage from around the UK and Europe, we look forward to the start of what promises to be another fantastic season of football on ESPN."

Sky meanwhile will transmit a total of six games over August, and then a further 43 before December.

Here’s the Sky Sport’s August fixture list - a full schedule is available on the broadcaster’s website:

Sunday 19: Wigan v Chelsea (1.30pm)
Sunday 19: Man City v Southampton (4pm)
Monday 20: Everton v Man Utd (8pm)
Saturday 25: Swansea v West Ham (12.45pm)
Sunday 26: Stoke v Arsenal (1.30pm)
Sunday 26: Liverpool v Man City (4pm)

Barney Francis, the managing director of Sky Sports said: "We're all looking forward to the start of the Premier League and we begin with a bang; Champions League winners Chelsea, Premier League champions Manchester City and Manchester United all in our opening weekend

"These selections provide our viewers with huge head-to-heads, major derbies and every team at least twice, all in the first three months of the season."