European Football, Internationals and Non-British Football on TV

Now we are getting more leagues and coverage of games than ever before across more platforms, a thread for opinions and info on European leagues, UEFA club competitions, internationals etc. on TV in New Zealand - Sommet, Sky etc.

Loving the German Bundesliga coverage on Sommet Sports with six games from every weekend broadcast Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.. A quality league and nice to see something different to the EPL.

A good time to broadcast the Bundesliga when it's riding high on the back of Bayern's Champions League victory and we have All White Marco Rojas now at Stuttgart. Hope we can see Marco playing soon - but we can see what his team are like and wish he were there tonight at 5.30pm:

Tonight 5.30pm Sommet Sports - Stuttgart v Mainz

England v Scotland international to mark 150 years of English FA - Thursday 6.45am Sommet Sports (replay 8pm)

Football on ESPN (Sky TV):

Brazil v Switzerland friendly: 9am Thursday live

UEFA Chamions League Play-offs: August 21, 22; August 28, 29

UEFA Super League Final - Bayern Munich v Chelsea August 31

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SKY SPORTS UK - ALL CHANNELS 24/7 FOR FREE:

I've recently come across this website which streams Sky Sports UK  24/7 for free: EPL, lower leagues, cup ties, European games, internationals, Spanish la Liga, whatever:

This awesome website streams all of Sky Sports UK's numerous channels (and some other good UK channels)  for free. It's the answer to a Kiwi football fan's dreams!!! Streams all the four Sky Sports channels (and Sky Sports News) direct from the UK 24 hours a day.

Just click away the pesky ads:

http://www.coolsport.tv/skysports1.html

Football schedule on Sky UK:  http://www1.skysports.com/watch/football-on-sky

I did get up and watch Bayern München v Borussia Mönchengladbach. Was a good game. I did ask Sommet if they will have a Bundesliga highlights package last week and they said they will - though not sure when that will be.

Seems Sommet now have the Liverpool as well as Chelsea TV channels, and Sky have announced they have  Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur club channels (and so Sommet and Sky will be able to broadcast Cup ties and European games involving those clubs too I guess). 

Only two Bundesliga games coming up from this weekend's round compared to six last weekend:

SOMMET SPORT FOOTBALL THE NEXT WEEK:

SUN. 10 am : Frankfurt v Bayern Munich

SUN. 9.30 pm : Liverpool v Stoke City

MON. 11 am : Chelsea v Hull

TUES. 5.30 am : BDL Monchengladbach v Hanover 

TUES. 1 pm : Frankfurt v Bayern replay

TUES. 5.30pm : Monchengladbach v Hanover replay

WEDNES. 8 am : Leeds v Sheffield Wednesday - Championship 

Meanwhile, of course, Sky TV have announced a three-year agreement to bring  Manchester United TV to New Zealand which will include delayed coverage of Manchester United Premier League matches.

Sky viewers can now watch delayed coverage of Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur EPL games - plus Cup ties and European fixtures involving these clubs I believe... "viewers can access MUTV and experience exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, documentaries as well as match coverage."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10912768

Most of Sommet Sports' coverage seems to be provided by Irish-based international broadcaster Setanta Sports.

So, to get some idea what Sommet will be broadcasting see Setanta's broadcast schedules:

 England internationals here:  http://www.setanta.com/au/our-sports/soccer/England-Internationals/

England v Moldova World cup qualifier 6/9/13  

Links to all Setanta's football schedules here: http://www.setanta.com/au/our-sports/soccer/

Bundesliga here: http://www.setanta.com/au/our-sports/soccer/German/

Enjoying all the Bundesliga coverage on Sommet Sports - will be great when Marco Rojas gets fit and if he makes the first team because they seem to have a Stuttgart game every week. Interesting to see a few Aussies in the Bundesliga too like Robbie Kruse, though he's only been on the bench so far this season.

It's great they are showing a one hour Bundesliga Highlights Show every Thursday too.

This weekend the Bundesliga coverage kicks off with Bundesliga Preview Show 4 am Sunday, followed by Schalke v Leverkusen 4.25 am

See program guide (click on the day you want at top):  http://www.freeviewnz.tv/tv-guide.aspx

Sommet are showing England v Moldova and Germany v Austria World Cup qualifiers Sept 7 NZT :

Next Week - FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Saturday 7th September
6.45am - England v Moldova - LIVE
8.45am - Germany v Austria - Delayed

Football on ESPN next few weeks:

Seems Sommet will be showing the UEFA Super Cup Chelsea v Bayern (tomorrow morning NZT) but delayed:

On Sommet's Facebook today: https://www.facebook.com/SommetSports

All the action is on ESPN on Wednesday : 

6.30 am Italy v Czech Republic World Cup qualifier

11.45 am USA v Mexico World Cup qualifier LIVE (crucial in determining All Whites' November opponents)

3 pm Portugal v Brazil friendly delayed

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UEFA Champions League - First Round Group Stage : five games a day 18th and 19th September (Wednesday and Thursday next week)

Seems it's either a famine or a feast on ESPN these days with no leagues covered any more except very occasional MLS games.

The only European football they cover is Champions League.

At least they have some great internationals though...

Possibility of some La Liga coverage from Spain coming to Sommet Sport:

• Bilal Mangera  u guys doing an awesome job but please try get la liga rights

  Like ·  23 hours ago

• Sommet Sports  we are looking at getting some coverage

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  Also Europa League coverage starting Friday  on Sommet Sports:

  LIVE:      20th Sept

  4.50am - Valenica v Swansea 
  6.55am - Tottenham v Tromso 
  

  Plus other games delayed at 9 am and 10.50 am (teams TBC)

  
  

  Saturday 21 1.30 pm - Europa League Highlights Show (one hour)

  
  

  As always, info here: http://www.freeviewnz.tv/tv-guide.aspx

  and here: https://www.facebook.com/SommetSports

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL THE NEXT WEEK ON SOMMET:

Make sure you contact Sommet Sports on Facebook to help register the level of interest in football as they say they will respond to which sports people want to see - more responses from football fans = more football. e.g. people have suggested they want to see La Liga from Spain, so they say they are looking at obtaining coverage.

Contact them here: https://www.facebook.com/SommetSports

Also any queries about scheduling etc. - they do respond.

Program schedule for Sommet (check for updates): http://www.freeviewnz.tv/tv-guide.aspx

Chelsea v Basel Champions League confirmed as 11.30 PM Thursday Sommet Sports.

FRI : LIVE 4.50 am : Europa Lge, Valencia v Swansea

LIVE 6.55 AM Spurs v Tromso

9 am Estroril v Sevilla

10.50 am REPLAY Valencia v Swansea

SAT. 5.55 am: Bundesliga Preview

6.25 am LIVE Monchengladbach v Braunschweig

1.30 pm Europa Lge Highlights (one hour)

7.30 pm : Spurs v Tromso replay

SUN. 12.30 AM Europa Highlights

4.30 am Schalke v Bayern

8.20 am Nuremburg v Dortmund

10.10 am Mainz v Leverkusen

5 pm Schalke v Bayern replay

MON. 1.30 am LIVE Freiburg v Hertha 

TUES. 1.30 am Stuttgart v Frankfurt

8.40 pm Chelsea v Basel Europa replay

WEDNES. 

11.30 pm Valencia v Swansea Europa replay

Don't forget, if you're a Sky Sport subscriber, you can access ESPN3 on iSky online (just go to http://www.isky.co.nz/  and register)

ESPN3 football on demand includes Spanish, German, EPL, Italian, Dutch, MLS league highlights, plus some internationals highlights, Champions League highlights (including the Champions League Highlights Show)

Sometimes there's some live football, though it's rare. At least in the States the schedule says ESPN3 has the Football Ferns games live this week from Switzerland (Ferns v Brazil and China are on Sky Sport by the way).

http://www.isky.co.nz/catchup/channels/espn3com

Go to ESPN3 and click on "Football" in the right-hand menu.

Big weekend of internationals on Sommet Sports and ESPN:

SOMMET SPORTS

SAT.12:

7.45 am live - England v Montenegro

10.15 am - Netherlands v Hungary

3.40 pm - Germany v Ireland

9.30 pm - England v Montenegro replay

11.30 pm - Germany v Ireland replay

SUN. 13

1 pm - "FIFA Football Mundial Magazine" (Also on Thurs.10 at 12.30 pm and 8.30 pm)

MON. 14

9 pm - Liverpool TV

WEDNES 16

7.45 am live - England v Poland (replay 10 pm)

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ESPN (check the onscreen EPG)

SAT 12

7.55 am live - Spain v Belarus

SUN 13

7 pm delayed - South Korea v Brazil

WEDNES 16

7.55 am live - Spain v Georgia

10 am - Italy v Armenia                  (both repeated later that day)

"There'e no Dross in Andros Townsend" :-)

More football added to ESPN - it's either a feast or a famine on this channel:

WEDNES 16

7.55 am live - Spain v Georgia

10 am - Italy v Armenia  

and England v Poland live 7.55 am Sommet Sports

Good sites for watching videos of complete games plus highlights from all major European leagues and internationals:

(has games from recent days too):

http://www.matchhighlight.com/

http://livefootballvideo.com/fullmatch

INTERNATIONALS ON ESPN:

16 NOV.  LIVE - Argentina v Ecuador, Oher Argentina internationals TBC

                           4 LIVE - Brazil v TBC friendly

20 NOV.  LIVE - Argentina v TBC friendly

                        LIVE  - Brazil v Ecuador   

UEFA CHAMPS LGE:       6 / 7 NOV. ; 27 / 28 NOV.

FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP:

SEMIS: 6 NOV. LIVE 1.50 am ; 4.50 am LIVE

FINAL: 9 NOV. - 4.50 am LIVE

SOMMET SPORTS INTERNATIONALS THIS WEEKEND:

SAT 15 (tomorrow) 10 am - ENGLAND V CHILE  FRIENDLY DELAYED

11 PM - REPEAT (ALSO REPEATED VARIOUS TIMES ON SUBSEQUENT DAYS)

ALSO: 7.45 AM LIVE - ICELAND V CROATIA WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF FIRST LEG

TV ONE SUNDAY 12 PM - PORTUGAL V SWEDEN WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF FIRST LEG

ESPN

Look here for football schedule at ESPN Australia website:

http://www.espn.com.au/international-soccer/

INCLUDES:

SAT 16:  8.30 AM LIVE - UKRAINE V FRANCE WORLD CUP QUALIFIER PLAY-OFF

5 PM ARGENTINA V ECUADOR FRIENDLY

SUN 17: 9.55 AM EQUATORIAL GUINEA V SPAIN FRIENDLY

1.25 PM  FRIENDLY TBC

WEDNES. 20: 6.30 AM  ARGENTINA V BOSNIA FRIENDLY

8.30 AM LIVE - SWEDEN V PORTUGAL WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF SECOND LEG

1.55 PM ARGENTINA V TBC

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SKY SPORT SUBSCRIBERS CAN ACCESS SOME LIVE GAMES THIS WEEKEND ON ESPN3 ON iSKY: 

http://espni.go.com/player/video/sky/index.htm  (CLICK ON "LIVE")

UKRAINE V FRANCE and ITALY V GERMANY FRIENDLY BOTH AVAILABLE 8.30 AM SAT.

ACCORDING TO ESPN AUSTRALIA WEBSITE (BUT CHECK YOUR EPG - THIS MAY NOT BE ACCURATE):

NOTE - ESPN2 IS NOT AVAILABLE IN NZ (BUT SEEMS TO BE IN AUSTRALIA - ASK THE BUGGERS AT SKY TO SCREEN IT HERE)

Upcoming LIVE games on ESPN, times in AEDT. (Aussie times)

How the hell did Australia lose six nil to the french team?

Im expecting Asia to get humiliated next year....

France lucky to be only 2-0 down after the first leg, that could have been very ugly.

I've just watched a very poor England side lose 2-0 to Chile. If they play like that in Brazil they have no chance of even getting out of the group.

Did you see the team they picked?

That is not the side that will start in Brazil though. So your comment has no relevance.

WEDNES: SOMMET SPORTS

8 AM - Croatia v Iceland second leg    (replay 10 pm)

11 AM - England v Germany "friendly"

6 PM - replay         Latest on England & German teams: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24907635

Injuries: Sturridge back, Walker back,  maybe Gerrard and Lambert, Jones, Carrick & Welbeck still injured.

Germany: Ozil, Lahm & Neuer rested. 

8 PM - France v Ukraine World Cup play-off

ALL GAMES OF FIFA WORLD CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP EXCLUSIVELY LIVE ON SOMMET SPORTS:

(Ya boo sucks to Sky !!!)

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ESPN

Wednes. 6.30 am - Argentina v Bosnia friendly

8.30 am - Portugal v Sweden  second leg

1.55 pm TBC

Sucks to be NZF/Ricki/AWs.  Sucks to be Les Bleus as well: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/nov/18/france-ukraine-public-give-up-deschamps

France staged a great comeback today, and my guys after being an absolute shambles on the weekend got past Iceland easily. Great game in Sweden too, and Greece got past Romania comfortably.

Same African line-up in Brazil as in 2010 (sans South Africa).

SOMMET COMING TO FREEVIEW SATELLITE AND SKY TV IN THE NEW YEAR:

Sommet are canvasing for which sports/ leagues viewers want to see this year. Let them know here:

https://www.facebook.com/SommetSports

ESPN are screening another edition of "FIFA Greatest Matches" 11 pm this Monday - England v Argentina 1986 World Cup

(full match). Great occasional series of complete classic World Cup matches.

Wednesday 11 pm - Another good series on ESPN: "National Icons" - each episode compares and contrasts two legends from a country e.g. Gascoigne v Rooney; Bergkamp v Van Persie; Maradona v Messi etc.

Keep checking the electronic program guide as they are broadcasting some good football history series like these (all British shows)

They had a one & a half hour special on the history of the England team the other day.

And they broadcast half an hour of highlights of England v Australia, Upton Park 2003. 3-1 to the Socceroos. What a great Socceroos side that was - their best era in my opinion (Viduka, Kewell, Okon, Schwarzer, Moore, Neill, Popovic, Lazaridis, Chipperfield, Skoko, Emerton, Bresciano, Vidmar, Sterjovski, Muscat, Aloisi) 

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/seas2000-10/2002-03/M0799Aus2003.html

just recording 74 Final Holland v West G

shame they've dubbed a modern commentator on, the particular voice but also the more modern hype and cliches give it away

still a great game and great Dutch side though!

A great series on ESPN Mondays 11pm of classic World Cup matches - next Monday it's Holland v Argentina 1978 Final.

Also enjoying the ESPN weekly shows "National Icons" on Wednesdays 11 pm which compares pairs of iconic players from various eras. They are bang up to date and broadcasting episodes made this year now.

A new weekly series on Wednesdays at 11.30 pm is "Destination Football" which looks at a different player in some depth every week. Last night was Colombian genius Falcao. Some good background on Colombian football, it's history and the social context too.

"El Classico" Real Madrid v Barcelona from the weekend:

Since no TV networks broadcast la Liga in NZ, here's the full game to watch:

http://livefootballvideo.com/fullmatch/spain/la-liga/real-madrid-vs-barcelona-2

Sommet are currently canvassing for your opinions on what they can do to improve - get in and tell them what football you want to see, about scheduling, presentation etc.:

https://www.facebook.com/SommetSports

ESPN

Heaps of great football docos and classic matches continuing (on top of the World Cup preview series):

But these are not on  the next two weeks because of live tennis. Will resume from the 19th onwards.

(1) Ongoing replays of classic World Cup matches every Monday 11pm (replays at various times)

(2) "FIFA Official Films" - screening in the small hours - have been showing the official World Cup tournament films from years past starting with Sweden 1958. Documentary and match footage. "Spain '82" and "South Africa 2010" will of course feature the All Whites - I've seen the "Spain '82" film before and has behind-the-scenes footage of the All Whites who were the only side to grant access to their dressing room.

Some of these are also on You Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fifa+official+world+cup+films

(3) A new documentary series of 30 (!!!) football documentaries "30 for 30 Soccer Films" every Tuesday about 11pm 

Part of marking 30 years of ESPN and all new films - some of the best documentaries about football ever made in English.

Started two weeks ago with a brilliant two hour doco commemorating the Hillsborough tragedy co-produced by ESPN and the BBC with much good new insight and the latest inquiry findings. Last week two films: on Maradona 1986 and the Chilean national team 1973-74 and the military coup. Great stuff

(4) "Destination Football" 9.30 pm, 10pm Tuesdays about legendary players is also great.

TOULON U-20 TOURNAMENT LIVE ON ESPN3 FOR SKY SPORT SUBSCRIBERS:

Can check out prospective qualifying sides for the u-20 World Cup on iSky (or "Sky Go" or whatever they call it now) on ESPN3.com if you're a Sky Sport subscriber. Includes Brazil and China who NZ are playing next month in the Panda Cup in China.

Thay are showing live games from the current Toulon Tournament -  Europe's biggest friendly international u-20 tournament held every year in Toulon, France.

This year's participating teams: France, Brazil, England, Portugal, Chile, China, Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, Qatar

Runs May 22 - June 2 NZT

To watch online on Sky Go ("iSky") via ESPN3:

http://www.skygo.co.nz/

http://www.skygo.co.nz/catchup/channels/espn3com

After you've signed in and gone to ESPN3, find the live schedule here:

http://espni.go.com/player/video/sky/index.htm

Also find full videos of previous games by clicking on "Live" and then "Replay" beneath the video player (a few pages of games incl. football).

Next live matches in Toulon Tournament: Sunday May 25: South Korea v. Qatar 1.30 am; Brazil v. Colombia 3.45 am 

Full match schedule and result updates here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Toulon_Tournament

Tournament website (in French - use Google Translate):

http://www.festival-foot-espoirs.com/

Full squads, match reports etc. here.

BRAZIL U-20 SQUAD:

Naturally looks pretty awesome - I guess they'll take the same team to China to play our Junior All Whites, Croatia and China in the Panda Cup next month. China will be pretty busy too.

Brazil squad for the Toulon Tournament includes (on top of their Brazil-based talent) the European-based trio: 

http://www.festival-foot-espoirs.com/festival-foot-espoirs/list-festival-foot.php?ID_nation=2

CHINA:

But a big surprise for me, is the number of European-based players in the China squad. If they're any good, they'll be a tough opponent in the China tournament. Man, they have a guy at Atletico Madrid! And five in Portugal! Plus one at Club Bruges.

China u-20 Squad at the Toulon Tournament (probably the same will face NZ in June):

 http://www.festival-foot-espoirs.com/festival-foot-espoirs/list-festival-foot.php?ID_nation=4

Overseas-based players:

England v Peru friendly live on Sommet Sports Saturday 31 May 7 am

Ch. 14 Freeview      Ch. 69 Sky TV

Home send-off from Wembley