Ford Super Sunday
| Ford Super Sunday | |
|---|---|
| Format | Sports |
| Starring | Ed Chamberlin Jamie Redknapp Martin Tyler Rob Hawthorne Alan Parry Ian Darke Geoff Shreeves Dion Dublin Gary Neville |
| Opening theme | (1997-2001) "Out of The Sinking" by Paul Weller (2000-01) "Glorious" by Andreas Johnson (2001-02) "Lovin' Each Day" by Ronan Keating (2002-04) "Carnaval de Paris" by Dario G (2004-2009) "The Time is Now" by Moloko (2009-2011) "Club Foot" by Kasabian (2011-) "Written In The Stars" by Tinie Tempah |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Production | |
| Running time | Variable |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Sky Sports |
| Picture format | 576i (PAL) (1992-2005) 1080i (HDTV) (2005-) |
| Original run | 16 August 1992 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Ford Super Sunday is Sky Sports' flagship live football programme, broadcasting live Barclays Premier League football on most Sundays over the course of a season. The main live game will typically kick off at 4pm, often following a 1.30pm game, on Sky Sports 1.
It had been presented since its debut in August 1992 by former TV-am host Richard Keys, alongside a variety of guest match pundits until January 2011. From the 2005-2006 season, former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp joined Keys as a regular pundit. The commentary team of Martin Tyler and former Scotland striker Andy Gray became synonymous with Sky's football coverage until Gray was sacked in January 2011, although other commentators may be used. In April 2011, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was confirmed as his replacement.
Contents |
[edit] Innovation
The first match shown on Ford Super Sunday was between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool on 16 August 1992, a match Forest won 1-0. This first broadcast featured a digital on-screen graphic (DOG) throughout the game showing the score and match time. It was the first time a UK broadcaster had done such a thing and, despite a few initial complaints, DOGs are now part of coverage of virtually all televised sports worldwide.
[edit] Broadcast times
In the first couple of years of the programme, Ford Super Sunday - the title due to major sponsorship by the Ford Motor Company - used to start at 2pm, giving viewers two hours build-up before the slightly untraditional kick-off time of 4pm, as opposed to a Saturday kick-off at 3pm. Eventually, Sky decided this was a bit too much, and decided to start the programme at 3pm instead. From the 2004-05 season, some Super Sunday coverage started as early as 1pm if two live games were shown that day. From the 2005-06, coverage began at 3.30pm if only one live game was shown.
Sky advertise Ford Super Sunday as showing the Premier League's biggest match of the weekend, but, although they have first pick of live Premier League games on any weekend, there are numerous restrictions which mean the best game does not necessarily kick off at 4pm, or is even broadcast on Sky. Police restrictions mean many derby matches must kick off earlier while there are restrictions on the number of times Sky can show each team per season. Additionally, Sky can not move a game to take place on Super Sunday if one of the teams is playing in the Champions League the following Tuesday, in order to give the team time to recover.
The programme is typically broadcast on Sky Sports 1 although occasionally it may move to Sky Sports 2 to avoid clashes with the Ashes or Ryder Cup.
[edit] Commentators
Richard Keys had hosted the programme from one of the grounds alongside Jamie Redknapp and at least one more guest. The panel often introduce the first game with an empty stadium behind them because of the staggered kick-off times. This was until Jamuary 27 2011 when Keys resigned from Sky Sports following allegations of sexist remarks and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
Martin Tyler and Andy Gray have been the most regular commentators on Super Sunday, appearing either as a team or split over two matches. When there were two matches, Gray would commentate on the main match and act as a studio pundit for the other game as well as appearing on The Last Word discussion programme alongside Keys immediately after Super Sunday on Sky Sports 1.
However, following sexist comments towards assistant referee Sian Massey in a conversation prior to a match between Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and Liverpool on Saturday, 22 January; Andy Gray was sacked by Sky and soon after on 26 January, Richard Keys handed in his resignation. Keys said "It would be impossible to go on without Andy". Keys has been permanently replaced by Ed Chamberlin for the 2011/12 season, after Sky liked his presenting on the Survival Sunday coverage at the end of the 2010/11 season. Gray has not yet had a permanent replacement. The Last Word discussion programme has been dropped since Keys and Gray's departures.
Along with Tyler, Rob Hawthorne and Alan Parry are also regularly used as commentators, while Alan Smith is now usually the main co-commentator.
[edit] Television contract
Although Sky has lost its monopoly on broadcasting the Premiership from 2007–08, with Setanta Sports winning 46 games as a result of a European Commission recommendation[1], Sky retained the rights to all 4pm kick-offs as part of their renewed £1.4 billion contract.[2] The vast majority of games on Sunday are still broadcast on Sky Sports, with the former Setanta rights now owned by ESPN typically showing Saturday evening games.
From the 2010/11 to the 2012/13 seasons, Sky will have the vast majority of live Sunday Premier League fixtures, in addition to Saturday lunchtime kick-offs, Monday night games and exclusive rights to midweek fixtures. ESPN can show 23 live games for each season of which 18 must be shown on a Saturday evening.
[edit] References
- ^ European Commission recommendation Media Guardian
- ^ New football contract details The Independent
