England’s Barclays Premier League kicks off its 2007-08 season this weekend and Fox Soccer Channel will bookend the action with a pair of live studio shows.
Fox Soccer Match Day , presented by DirecTV, will bow each Saturday at 9:30 a.m. (ET), providing a preview for the weekend’s soccer action with predictions and in-depth analysis and a lead-in to BPL matches.
On Sundays at 1 p.m., Super Sunday + will serve up a fast-paced recap of the top matches from pitches in England, Italy’s Serie A, the U.S.’s Major League Soccer and from other futbol circuits around the globe. Super Sunday will be followed in turn by Fox Soccer’s initial presentation of a final Serie A match of the weekend, when the network commences its coverage of the top Italian league the weekend of Aug. 25-26.
Both shows will be hosted by Fox Soccer Channel commentators Christian Miles and Andy Houlihan, with former Queens Park Rangers standout Gary Richards joining the duo on the wrap-up program.
"Fox Soccer Match Day will set the stage for the soccer weekend, while Super Sunday + over 90 minutes will recap the action for fans with a lot more depth and highlights," said Fox Soccer executive vice president and general manager David Sternberg. Previously, the network aired a 30-minute recap show on Saturday night.
The 2007-08 Barclays Premier League season will commence on Fox Soccer Aug. 11, with the debut of Fox Soccer Match Day at 9:30 a.m. followed by a trio of opening-day matches: West Ham United vs. Manchester City at 10 a.m., Aston Villa vs. Liverpool at noon. and Derby vs. Portsmouth at 2:30 p.m.
On Sunday Aug. 12, Arsenal hosts Fulham at 7 a.m., while defending champion Manchester United square off against Reading at 11 a.m.
During the weekends of Aug. 17-19 and Aug. 24-26, the 31-million subscriber network will gain more exposure via free previews on a host of cable systems, according to Sternberg.
