If Sky go down the Arsenal route then BT are going to have to pass a week with a big head to head at some point (I think Liverpool v Arsenal in Week 27 is most likely). That would see BT having first pick in one of Week 28, 32 or 34. I think the latter is most likely as it's later in the season and is the weekend of the FA Cup Semi Final so there's an outside chance of their game being rearranged for the final midweek of the season.

Mmm. I was thinking that they might, in that case, use a 1st pick in Week 30 to take the Merseyside Derby rather than Arsenal - Man City...

That weekend (along with Week 17) will be a BT first pick for sure if Sky pass Arsenal games. It will just be a question of which way round BT go for. I'm thinking Merseyside Derby before Christmas and Arsenal v Man City in Week 30.

Even though it is in Tv Guides at 22: 20

MOTD is going to start at 22:10 this week

I can remember it being 10:20 or 10:30 but never this early??

Does anyone know why it has been switched ??

Don't really like the fact that Football On 5 and MOTD is clashing for 20 minutes as well..

It's not in the TV guides at 10.20, it's down as being at 10.10 in all of them. It's been on this early on a number of occasions. I don't know why there has to be a reason for it. The previous shows finish at 10.10 because that's how long they last. Rather than waste time with a filler show MOTD can come on earlier, and I can get an earlier night. Fantastic.

Guessing it is on earlier tommorrow night, as Casualty is virtually a double epsiode, and with Lottery draw on after Casualty, Having MOTD on at 10.10pm, saves them possibly finding something to fit for 10 minutes

I have TV and Sat week which says 1020

I dont remember it being on as early as 1010 on a Saturday recently

Sky EPG shows MOTD on at 10.10.

Im wondering if they decided to cut Casualty down at last minute

I've got R34 down as a Sky first pick, and without too much internal debate.

From past discussions, I think we all have different opinions of how many rounds for which Sky would want to bank first picks at the end of the season. Personally I tend to go along the lines of Sky banking the last five (ie. R34-38). In the case of this season Man Utd-Chelsea is in R33 so you can essentially say the last six if already going along with last five.

Now given that R34 is not particularly enticing when looking at the fixtures, perhaps Sky would be tempted to pass. But it's FA Cup SF weekend. The only non-European midweek after this* is the final midweek of the season so if anything gets postponed it could become a pivotal game in the title race. For that reason alone Sky almost certainly will take a first pick** in R34.

(*) The midweek immediately after FA Cup SF weekend is free. However I assume any postponed fixtures from QF weekend will already have been placed here (at least if they involve clubs in Europe).

(**) Whether this is a Package D or Package A first pick is still debatable. If BT are already out of first picks once we get to April but Sky still have first picks in A then Sky are obviously free to suit themselves what arrangement they go for. But depending on what BT have left Sky may be in a position where any first picks in A would have to be used for the true first pick game - not something they'd prefer to do when we're dealing with Sat 12:30, the weakest slot of the weekend. So likelihood is that Sky would want those last few weeks to all be first picks in D.

Shouldn't think C5 will be pleased as it's against their league one/two roundup

Sky I think will bite the bullet in Dec. Pass Manu v spurs, the next weekend and Liverpool v man city. Would mean bt would have to pass both arsenal v man city and Everton v Liverpool, or be left with Liverpool or arsenal on four picks.

As soon as Liverpool or arsenal hit four games, sky lose just one big game.

Or in the above, Bt could pass Liverpool v man city. Sky then keep that and by passing Liverpool v arsenal lose that and just one match more

Hasn't Everton v Liverpool, regularly been show on EPSN/BT, than it has on Sky over recent years

Here's what we think has happened so far - Sky have passed first pick in Package D seven times with BT taking first pick in Package B four times and passing to Package A three times. That leaves eight weeks in which Sky have to pass first pick in Package D of which five will be taken by BT. Here are the possible (in my opinion) passes for Sky:

15. Man Utd v Spurs
17. Man City v Arsenal/Everton v Liverpool
22. Man City v Spurs
24. Chelsea v Arsenal
25. Liverpool v Spurs
27. Liverpool v Arsenal
28. -
29. Man City v Liverpool
30. Arsenal v Man City/Liverpool v Everton
32. -
34. -

Weeks 28 and 32 look nailed on to be passed through to Package A. So that leaves six other passes from Package D. I think there are two routes for Sky. The Spurs route - pass weeks 15, 22, 25, 27, 29 and 34. BT pass 34 and will be maxed out of Spurs and Liverpool after Week 29. I doubt they'd do it, but BT could pass Week 25 to keep a Spurs and Liverpool pick in reserve and then take first pick in Week 34.

The second route for Sky is the Arsenal route - pass weeks 17, 24, 25, 27, 30 and 34. BT take the Merseyside Derby in one of 17 or 30 and Arsenal/Man City in the other. BT would probably take Chelsea v Arsenal over Liverpool v Arsenal to keep back a Liverpool game. They would then get first pick in Week 34. But if Sky want first pick in Week 34 it will cost them Man City v Spurs in Week 22.

I have BT on two picks for Liverpool - I have their game at Crystal Palace as a Package F game.

I wondered about Liverpool v Man City on New Year's Eve weekend but I reckon Sky will want to lock BT out of the festive period. They might be happy to let BT have Man Utd v Middlesbrough.

I presumed bt took Everton v Liverpool.

They could pass that, and keep Liverpool and arsenal on three but that would mean sky get two big games for a bt pass on 17th dec

Sorry loyalsince, I see what you mean. Ultimately BT have to go to four with one team at some point. I reckon if Sky go down the Liverpool route then BT would take Man City v Arsenal* and Liverpool v Man City in December. BT would then max out on Arsenal with their trip to Chelsea in Week 24, pass Week 27 back to Sky (Liverpool v Everton) and get Liverpool v Everton in Week 30.

But, this is another scenario which ends with BT having first pick in Week 34 - albeit maxed out of Arsenal. This all seems along way off, but actually Sky have to make a decision on which way to go in the next six weeks or so.

(*) This is something that I think Sky would be keen to avoid. Man City v Arsenal is perfect for Monday night football.

Last post for tonight, but in your scenario above sky get liv v ars, ars v man city for free, and crucially get man city v spurs and Liverpool v spurs on very poor weekends otherwise. And sky get week 34. Also liv v manc could be at 1230 (spare slot) and Chelsea v arsenal up against six nations with good alternatives for sky.

With hindsight Leicester v arsenal was bt weak pick. Should have gone Manu v Southampton as sky will never squeeze man u.

BT get first pick in Week 34, unless Sky are happy to give up another head to head (most likely Man City v Spurs).

I agree that Leicester v Arsenal looks a weak pick, but I reckon BT picked it with a view to tempting Sky down the Arsenal/Liverpool route. Not sure why, but maybe they value the Merseyside Derby quite highly.

A lot will depend on what happens in the next few weeks, but I don't think Sky will do anything that risks them losing Man City v Arsenal in Week 17.

What is the combined max quota for Sky and BT at 12.30? More than 5 I'm assuming. Thanks in advance.

I have a question regarding picks.

Is the maximum picks for a team per package limited to number of games they are featured in whether home or away or just home fixtures? Always assumed just the home fixtures counted but now I'm not so sure after reading banter here.

Thanks

Picks are per team per package

Irrelevant as to location of match

Thanks

Well, I have no actual figures, but I certainly remember watching it on PremPlus, Setanta, ESPN and BT over the years, probably more than I remember watching it on Sky.

Since 2005/2006 I believe the breakdown is as follows for Premier Leagur matches between Everton and Liverpool:

Prem Plus - 3
Setanta - 1
ESPN - 0
BT - 3
Sky - 15