Check out your complete TV guide to the new season in the latest issue.
When Teddy Sheringham scored for Nottingham Forest against Liverpool on Sunday 16th August 1992, he did more than win a game of football – he launched a television revolution.
The match was the first Premier League game to be televised and, underwritten by Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, Sky quickly used its monopoly of live coverage of top-flight English football to establish itself as a paid-for alternative to the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
Now, after more than 30 years of lucrative broadcasting deals, the Premier League is no longer a backwater on planet football. It is the best football league in the world, with the richest clubs attracting the top players and hundreds of millions of fans watching around the globe.
For its part, Sky is no longer a satellite outlier in the broadcasting firmament. It’s just one player in the ever-expanding universe of TV services and choice, although it still has the bulk of the live action when it comes to the Premier League and the Scottish Premiership, too.
This season, Nottingham Forest are back in the top flight of English football after surviving the dreaded relegation battle, and in the new issue of Radio Times magazine we preview the team’s prospects, alongside the 19 other clubs in the league.
We also hear from the TV pundits who these days no longer operate solely from the Sky TV gantry or studio, but also appear for TNT (formerly BT Sport), Amazon and, of course, the BBC’s Match of the Day. Meanwhile, former Celtic star Chris Sutton casts his eye over the Scottish Premiership.
Readers who consult our fixtures guide in this issue will notice Nottingham Forest are once again among the first matches to be televised (away to Arsenal on Saturday). They could win 15-0 and the result still wouldn’t match the shock of that game 31 years ago. The TV revolution is here to stay.
Also in this week’s Radio Times:
- Stephen Fry on wanting to become a librarian, his realisation of his sexuality at 15, and the influence of Oscar Wilde
- Veteran actress Anne Reid discusses her career breakthrough in Dinnerladies, her current success in Sanditon and The Sixth Commandment, and her love for challenging roles
- Speaking to the Radio Times Podcast: David Tennant chats about his life-long Doctor Who fandom, the religious backlash Good Omens has received and the positive aspects of his Christian upbringing
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Sport hub for all the latest news.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.