Tottenham's Cristian Romero initiates a tackle against Richarlison, then of Everton, at Hotspur Stadium on March 7. Photo / Getty Images
Tottenham's Cristian Romero initiates a tackle against Richarlison, then of Everton, at Hotspur Stadium on March 7. Photo / Getty Images
Streamers take note: Sky's pledge to offer all 380 English Premier League games on-demand holds true - but the process of putting readers' question to the broadcaster revealed an important qualifier.
Those who subscribe to the $39.99/month Sky Sport Now app will be able to watch all 380 games ofthe 2022/23 English Premier League (EPL) season live, and replays of every game on-demand - but only for24 hours. Sky Sport Now also features selected highlights, where former EPL rights holder Spark had highlights and extended highlights of every game. [UPDATE Aug 5: Sky says: "Premier League matches - and all other sport content - will be available for 28 days on demand on Sky Sport Now." The change should have kicked in now.]
Sky Sport satellite subscribers, by contrast, will be able to record every game on their decoder to watch anytime and "full replays of all EPL matches will be available on Sky Go for 28 days," a Sky spokeswoman said ((Sky Go being the app satellite subscribers can use to access content on a smart device. It also replicates all the Sky On Demand content that can be assessed via a decoder.) Sky Sport costs $34.99 a month, and requires the $25.99/month Sky Starter for a total $60.98).
Some in the streaming camp will find this frustrating, but it makes commercial sense for Sky as it balances its new, fast-growing streaming services with its older, higher-yielding satellite business. Spark, of course, is pure-play streaming. Its Spark Sport app lets subscribers graze full replays of any game in a season).
Another common reader question: Will Sky offer Premier League games in 4K ultra-high definition?
Spark Sport has never offered 4K for any sport, sticking to standard high-definition as a lower-risk option as the ghosts of a certain All Blacks-South Africa 2019 World Cup clash linger.
Neither do Sky's current decoders, nor Sky Sport Now.
Sky noted its new box will be 4K-capable - although with its initial rollout now delayed from "mid-year" to "spring", it will miss the start of the season.
But there's also another important qualifier.
While TV makers have already moved on to pushing 8K, a lot of sports games are still shot in standard definition, let alone 4K (which offers up to four times higher resolution).
Premier League Productions - which has infrastructure at the stadium of every Premier League club - produces every game, prepares the action for international broadcast and puts together pre-game and halftime content (and also handles the video for the controversial Video Assistant Referee system).
In 2019, when the Premier League renewed its deal with its Premier League Productions partner IMG, it said 79 of the 380 matches would be shot in 4K.
In May this year, as the pair again renewed their deal, a release said "more" games would be shot in 4K under the new deal. I contact the parties involved, and it emerged that this year, 114 of the 380 matches will be made available in 4K globally.
Will those 114 games involve the Big Six teams? "The fixtures or teams involved aren't set in advance," an EPL rep said.
Extras
Spark Sport began with blunt, formless Premier League coverage, with just the game and then several hours of whatever happened next (from manager interviews with different news outlets right through to a wide shot of the stadium being packed down).
That gave Spark's service a sterile feel, as if it had been designed by geeks and accountants rather than football fans.
To its credit, Spark listened to user feedback and added pre-game analysis and halftime and post-game panels.
Where does Sky stand on EPL extras?
A spokeswoman said, "We're looking forward to delivering the significant amount of extra content that the Premier League creates, including player interviews, studio coverage and analysis, highlights and the like – it gets better and better each year and we are sure our customers are going to love it."
New frills
Premier League Productions says its 2022/23 content will include "a combination of studio-based output, including high-quality pre- and post-match content, fan-focused agenda shows, magazine programming, classic matches from the Premier League's extensive archive, and long-form storytelling as part of the new PL Originals - a strand that will focus on documentaries, lifestyle interviews and timeless archive programming, to reach different demographics and engage new fans."
And in addition, "The formation of a new PLP digital and creative team will expand its digital capabilities. On match days there will be a Matchday Social Channel producing 20-30 videos per day for broadcasters' own social media channels. These will be produced by a team of on-site social media content creators and distributed in real-time. This team will also create daily digital content, including highlights, PL milestones and interviews, for use on all platforms.
"We're a month off the season start and we'll be revealing more about the specific features and extra content - including new material) before then," Sky told the Herald earlier this week.
Will you be able to rewind to the start during a live game?
Yup, this is a standard feature for Sky Sport Now live event coverage, or Sky Sport satellite if you're recording a match or have been on the same channel since the start. But with Sky Sport Now, a "play from the start" option to avoid spoilers about the score is lacking.
Quick turnaround replays
Another popular question: How soon after a Premier League game finishes will it be available on-demand? (Spark's initial EPL coverage was marked by social media gripes about slow turnarounds as subscribers tumbled out of bed on Sunday morning and looked for on-demand coverage of a match that had wrapped up a couple of hours earlier. It picked up the pace, but also emphasised it was at the mercy of its UK providers.)
How soon will Sky make replays available?
"Some of the detail around features will be revealed closer to the season start," a spokeswoman said.
"The team is very aware of customer needs around on-demand – many are passionate Premier League fans."
The 2022/23 Premier League season will kick off on August 5 (August 6 NZT).
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte confers with support staff following his side's second goal during their Premier League match against Liverpool on December 19, 2021. Photo / Getty Images
POSTSCRIPT: A club channel boost
With its new six-year deal with Sky here and new deals of the same duration with other broadcasters around the world, the Premier League seems to have shelved its pre-Covid plan for a global "Netflix of football".
But we're still seeing some interesting developments, from Fifa's new global streaming service - which launched free, without any live top-tier games - but has left the door open to paid premium content in future - to the ongoing expansion of club channels.
The latest is the launch of Tottenham Hotspurs' Spursplay - which for £45 ($86) offers live coverage of the likes of pre-season friendlies. And there will be full, on-demand replays of every match involving Spurs - including Premier League and Champions League games.
Forget live coverage of first-team games, which are subject to a holdback period, but otherwise you can fill your boots, it seems.
"All games will be available to stream globally following the holdback, typically the following day after the live game," a Spurs spokesman told the Herald.
