Football First
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009) |
Football First is an interactive television programme on Sky Sports and since the 2010/11 season on Sky Sports HD and shows extended highlights of every Premier League match played on the day. It regularly airs on Saturdays at 8.25pm, and is currently presented by Sarah-Jane Mee. It is sponsored by Ford, who also sponsors the rest of Sky Sports English Premier League coverage and related programming.
[edit] Overview
The show first broadcasted on Saturday 14 August 2004, at 8.25pm with two main parts to the programme:
- GAME OF THE DAY: On-air at 8.25pm with the full 90 minutes of a match selected from the day's 3pm kick-offs. The decision on the Game of the Day is made after 5pm every Premier League match day, and announced on Soccer Saturday by the Football First presenter.
- MATCH CHOICE: At 10.15 pm, a choice from extended highlights of every game played that day except matches shown live on ESPN that day. Viewers on the Sky Digital platform can choose extended highlights of up to eight games. Viewers who do not use the interactive service - or do not have Sky Digital - will see 50 minutes of highlights from one match.
After a full Match Choice, the programme's presenter along with a studio guest, usually a footballer such as John Salako, Warren Barton, or Paul Walsh, discuss the main developments of the day.
The music currently used for the round-up of goals is a track from Kasabian - "Empire".
[edit] Restrictions
The match choice service is only available to UK and Republic of Ireland viewers, who subscribe to Sky Digital.
If more than eight matches are played on one match day, such as the final day of the season, one game is broadcast on the main channel (i.e. the one that non-interactive viewers watch) and is not included on the interactive service. If more than eight games still need to be offered, any games that were shown live on Sky Sports are not offered interactively.
[edit] Football First commentators
A number of commentators appear on Football First, including Sky's regulars such as Martin Tyler and Rob Hawthorne. Others include John Anderson, Gary Weaver, Daniel Mann, Gary Taphouse and Tony Jones. These are the same feeds as TWI uses for the international audience.
