NBC Sports Group Rolls Out First Three Months of Barclays Premier League Schedule

Following the Premier League’s announcement of the first three months of the 2013-14 schedule on July 11, NBC Sports Group released its television schedule for that time period featuring live coverage of all 130 matches, beginning Saturday, August 17 at 7 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network with the Liverpool-Stoke matchup.

A total of 69 Premier League matches – at least five games each week in the season’s first three months – will be presented on NBC Sports Network, NBC and CNBC with all games preceded and followed by Premier League Live pre- and post-match shows from the NBC Sports Group International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.

The 61 remaining Premier League matches will be made available on Premier League Extra Time, a bonus television package available to MVPDs at no extra cost for customers who receive NBC Sports Network.

In addition, 27 matches in the season’s first three months will be telecast in Spanish by Telemundo and mun2.

All Premier League games will be streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets. Games airing on NBC Sports Network will be live streamed via “TV Everywhere,” the media industry’s effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms.

Premier League Matches, First 3 Months, By Outlet

To date, AT&T U-verse®, Cablevision’s Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, DIRECTV, DISH, and Suddenlink have opted to carry the additional Premier League matches via the Premier League Extra Time package, and AT&T U-verse, Cablevision’s Optimum, Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink and Verizon FiOS will make all Premier League games available through TV Everywhere. Additionally, over 100 NCTC partners have either signed-on to the Premier League Extra Time package or have opted-in via TV Everywhere, including Blue Ridge Communications, Buckeye CableSystem, CenturyLink Prism, and RCN.

Following are schedule highlights for the first three months of the Premier League season:

Saturday, August 17, 7:45 AM ET on NBCSN
LIVERPOOL v STOKE
NBC Sports Group’s first-ever telecast of Premier League action features the Liverpool-Stoke matchup.

Saturday, August 17, 12:30 PM ET on NBC & mun 2
SWANSEA CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED
Manager David Moyes takes the reins of the Premier League’s most decorated team – returning champions Manchester United – from their legendary manager of over 26 years, Sir Alex Ferguson.   The Red Devils’ first test comes against a fiery Swansea side.

Sunday, August 18, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2
CHELSEA v HULL CITY
Chelsea, last season’s third-place finishers, begin their campaign against newly promoted side, Hull City. Jose Mourinho, “the Special One,” is back as the Blues manager to the delight of the Chelsea faithful.  With an all-star international line-up, Chelsea will be looking for strong showing  against the Tigers, whose quest to avoid a trip back to the Championship begins against one of the Premier League’s perennial powers.

Saturday, August 24, 10:00 AM ET on TBD
STOKE CITY v CRYSTAL PALACE
Stoke, established in 1863, are the oldest club in the Premier League and in their first home match of the campaign, they host newly promoted London-side Crystal Palace.  Stoke were known for playing an aggressive, physical style of soccer but new manager Mark Hughes is looking to change that, and playing against colorful manager Ian Holloway’s Crystal Palace, that now boasts rising Spain star and exciting midfielder Jose Campana, will provide an early measuring stick for both the Stoke team in transition and Palace’s rising star.

Monday, August 26, 3:00 PM ET on NBCSN
MANCHESTER UNITED v CHELSEA
In just the second week of the campaign, last season’s first- and third-place finishers meet at the Premier League’s largest stadium, Manchester United’s Old Trafford.  Eight of the last nine Premier League titles have been won by either United or Chelsea and both clubs will be under tremendous scrutiny this season with new managers.

Sunday, September 1, 8:30 AM ET on NBSCN, Telemundo
LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER UNITED
The two most decorated teams in English soccer history simply do not like each other.  At Liverpool’s historic Anfield, the Reds’ beloved captain and star Steven Gerrard, aka “Stevie G”, will look to help his side earn three points against United in the Premier League for the first time since March 2011.

Sunday, September 1, 11:00 AM ET on NBSCN & mun2
ARSENAL v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Arsenal host neighbors Tottenham at Emirates Stadium for the first edition of the season’s North London Derby and for a tough, early test at home for Arsenal.  The rivalry between the Gunners and Spurs dates to the early 1900s, and with Arsenal having finished directly above Tottenham in the table the last four seasons, Tottenham will be looking to make an early statement that their place in the standings belongs above Arsenal.

Saturday, September 14, 10:00 AM ET on TBD
HULL CITY v CARDIFF CITY
Hull and Cardiff, both promoted at the end of last season, meet early on in their Premier League campaigns, and as familiar foes, having faced each other the last three seasons in England’s second tier Championship, the Tigers and the Bluebirds will be eager to prove they belong in the league when the world is watching.

Sunday, September 22, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & Telemundo
MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED
This season’s first installment of one of the league’s most riveting local rivalries, the Manchester Derby, kicks off at the Etihad on September 22.  The Manchester teams’ stadiums are just four miles apart, but their distaste for one another is huge.  City dramatically won the title on the final day of the season in 2012, leaving the Red Devils in second, while United were crowned champions in 2013 and City were runners-up.  The competitiveness and physical distance between these two sides always makes for an electric game, and this time both clubs will be playing under new managers.

Sunday, October 27, 9:30 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2
CHELSEA v MANCHESTER CITY
Last season’s second- and third-place finishers are sure to provide an exciting match — Chelsea finished just one win behind City last season.  By the end of October, the teams’ new managers and summer signings should be settled in to their roles, so this match should offer more of a glimpse as to these teams’ chances at the coveted trophy.

Sunday, October 27, 12 Noon ET on NBCSN & mun2
SUNDERLAND v NEWCASTLE UNITED
Sunderland’s Stadium of Light hosts the season’s first installment of the Tyne-Wear Derby, the name given to any match between Sunderland and Newcastle.  Just 12 miles separate the Magpies and the Black Cats, and last season, Newcastle edged out Sunderland to finish 16th, but both teams sat dangerously close to the relegation zone.  American forward Jozy Altidore, recently signed by Sunderland, will be a player to watch as he works to prove he’s a Premier League force.

Sunday November 3, 11:00 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2
CARDIFF CITY v SWANSEA CITY
The South Wales Derby between Welsh sides Cardiff City and Swansea City is one of the most widely anticipated matches of the season.  With Cardiff’s promotion at the end of last season, the Bluebirds will be playing top-flight soccer for the first time in 51 years, and two Welsh teams will be playing in England’s top flight for the first time ever.

Saturday, November 9, 10:00 AM ET on TBD
LIVERPOOL v FULHAM
This match features two American owners as Liverpool and owners Fenway Sports Group host Fulham and owner Shahid Khan, who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars.  While the Red Sox and Jaguars will have nothing to do with this match, the American influence in the Premier League will be on display as Liverpool, who need a successful season more than ever, face the Cottagers.

Sunday, November 10, 11:10 AM ET on NBCSN & Telemundo
MANCHESTER UNITED v ARSENAL
Last season’s leading scorer Dutch star Robin van Persie, aka “RVP,” welcomes his former club to Manchester United’s Old Trafford.  RVP managed a goal in both matches last season against the Gunners, and with the 2012-13 Premier League title in his back pocket as well, his news-grabbing move from the Emirates last season has paid off.  Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will look for some magic from his scoring threats Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, and Santi Cazorla.

Saturday, November 23, 7:45 AM ET on NBCSN & mun2
EVERTON v LIVERPOOL
The Merseyside Derby, the longest running top-flight rivalry in England (played at the highest level of English competition since 1962-63), features the Blues of Everton against the Reds of Liverpool.  The two clubs know each other well; their stadiums sit less than a mile apart, and they are playing for the 221st time.  Though Liverpool are the historically better side, Everton finished 6th, one spot ahead of Stevie G’s lads last season.  With both clubs scratching at the door to the top-5 and European play, the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park holds much meaning for both sides.

Following is the NBCUniversal schedule for the first three months of the Premier League season:

(NOTE: TBD indicates that there will be one match in that time slot on NBCSN, in some cases one match on mun2, and remaining non-NBCSN games on Premier League Extra Time. Final channel assignments for those matches will be made in the coming weeks.)