Sky Sports is to make itself available free of charge for the first day of the new Premier League season – the same day as it will face a new competitor for football audiences.
The channel will use capacity from Sky 2 and Pick TV to broadcast its full August 17 schedule that will include a live match from both the Premier League and Football League.
The new BT Sport, expected to have launched earlier in August, is being offered free to BT Broadband customers, irrespective of platform.
A total of 116 Premier League matches will be shown on Sky Sports over the course of the season.
While Sky has lost the Saturday lunchtime kickoff to its new rival, it has secured the Saturday tea time package previously held by ESPN under the last Premier League contract.
A BT spokesman said: “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.
Sky has been able to secure a Football League package that will also run on Saturday lunchtimes and it is launching a new show Saturday Night Football that will include both the match itself and studio debate from an audience of fans.
