• Premier League

Villas-Boas' Spurs bow to feature live on ESPN

July 5, 2012

ESPN UNVEILS 2012-13 BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES

-Season opens with Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur on August 18
-ESPN's Barclays Premier League matches all on Saturdays at 5:30pm
-Premier League coverage also includes ESPN Goals and ESPNFC.com

ESPN has confirmed its exclusively live Barclays Premier League fixtures for the first four months of the 2012/13 season. On the opening weekend ESPN visits St James' Park as Newcastle United take on Tottenham Hotspur. The match presents new Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas with a testing first league match at the helm while Magpies chief Alan Pardew will want to send a signal that last season's fifth-place was not a one-off.

The action continues the following week as Newcastle travel to West London. ESPN viewers will have an early opportunity to see last season's UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea as newly-installed permanent manager Roberto Di Matteo looks to build on their 6th place finish last season.

Champions Manchester City will feature three times on ESPN as they welcome Queens Park Rangers on September 1 and Swansea City on October 27 to the Etihad Stadium, before they make an away trip to play newly-promoted West Ham United on November 3.

ESPN viewers will also get a look at Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side as they face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on September 15. Manchester United make their first appearance on ESPN on September 29 as they host Tottenham.

Spurs' north London rivals, Arsenal, will feature in three away fixtures on ESPN, first at West Ham United on October 6, before travelling to East Anglia to face Chris Hughton's Norwich City on October 20. Then November 24 will see Arsenal visit Villa Park, a happy hunting ground in recent years, to play an Aston Villa side under the stewardship of new boss, Paul Lambert. Manchester United complete ESPN's November line up as they play Norwich at Carrow Road on November 17.

ESPN's coverage will be presented by Ray Stubbs with Kevin Keegan alongside as lead analyst. Robbie Savage, Martin Keown as well as former Liverpool legends Steve McManaman and John Barnes will also be part of ESPN's line-up of football analysts. In the commentary box, Chris Waddle will join Jon Champion, with ESPN's Rebecca Lowe continuing to get the exclusive stories from managers and players from pitchside.

Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice-President TV Channels, ESPN, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "Football fans watching ESPN's Barclays Premier League coverage in the coming months will be able to follow the very top sides as well as the newly-promoted outfits. Alongside ESPN's offering of top football coverage from around the UK and Europe, we look forward to the start of what promises to be another fantastic season of football on ESPN."

PREMIER LEAGUE COVERAGE ON ESPN DIGITAL MEDIA

ESPN's multiplatform coverage of the Barclays Premier League next season also includes ESPN Goals, the mobile app that hosts ESPN's exclusive mobile highlights rights to all 380 Barclays Premier League matches. The rights allow ESPN to deliver every single goal to mobile devices within minutes of the action. ESPN also provides complete news, analysis and coverage of UK and international football on ESPN.co.uk. In the coming weeks around the new season, ESPNFC.com will provide football fans with a new global connection to worldwide soccer.

SCHEDULE: BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES ON ESPN

August
Saturday 18: Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur 5:30pm
Saturday 25: Chelsea v Newcastle United 5:30pm

September
Saturday 1: Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers 5:30pm
Saturday 15: Sunderland v Liverpool 5:30pm
Saturday 29: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur 5:30pm

October
Saturday 6: West Ham United v Arsenal 5:30pm
Saturday 20: Norwich City v Arsenal 5:30pm
Saturday 27: Manchester City v Swansea City 5:30pm

November
Saturday 3: West Ham United v Manchester City 5:30pm
Saturday 17: Norwich City v Manchester United 5:30pm
Saturday 24: Aston Villa v Arsenal 5:30pm

Live HD television coverage of the Barclays Premier League on ESPN is complemented by exclusive live televised coverage of the FA Cup, Aviva Premiership Rugby, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, UEFA Europa League, continental European league football, international football, plus the best in American sports, motorsports, UFC and much more.

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