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Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Old Mar 2nd 2012, 5:22 am
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Default Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Hi all,

So, Ive moved out to Cali to live in San Francisco for a new job.
It's been a hectic couple of weeks but, got the keys to a new apartment and of course, getting a TV and access to cable is on my mind.

I've been looking at the various cable providers such as Comcast and AT&T's Uverse thing and find it baffling. All I really want is access to Premier League football and I have little need for anything else.

I think this means access to ESPN 2 & 3 as well as Fox Soccer?

Is there anyone with enough knowledge to inform me which cable company and which package deals are the best? I'd like to watch as much Footy as possible and just can't seem to determine what is the best route to take. Ive been Google-ing off and on for days with no real luck.

Thanks in advance!

(p.s. I can't do satellite in my apartment so, Direct TV/Dish I think it is called is a no-go).
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 6:50 am
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

To be honest I dont really think it will matter which provider you go with. ESPN is basic cable and show very little live Premier League as it is. Same with Fox which is fta. I am pretty Sure Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus can be bought at separate channels on most (if not all) providers for a cost of $14.99

Originally Posted by Mucx
Hi all,

So, Ive moved out to Cali to live in San Francisco for a new job.
It's been a hectic couple of weeks but, got the keys to a new apartment and of course, getting a TV and access to cable is on my mind.

I've been looking at the various cable providers such as Comcast and AT&T's Uverse thing and find it baffling. All I really want is access to Premier League football and I have little need for anything else.

I think this means access to ESPN 2 & 3 as well as Fox Soccer?

Is there anyone with enough knowledge to inform me which cable company and which package deals are the best? I'd like to watch as much Footy as possible and just can't seem to determine what is the best route to take. Ive been Google-ing off and on for days with no real luck.

Thanks in advance!

(p.s. I can't do satellite in my apartment so, Direct TV/Dish I think it is called is a no-go).
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 6:59 am
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

ESPN2, Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) and Fox Soccer Plus are the primary channels for Premier League games. FSC probably shows the most games. I get Comcast in SF and ESPN2 is bundled with a lot of other crap. I pay extra - $5 a month, I think - for FSC and some other sports bits and pieces, but don't get Fox Soccer Plus. The few games I really want to watch on Fox Soccer Plus I find a pub for. The nice thing is you can watch more games than you can in England, because there's always a 7am (i.e. a 3pm) Saturday game shown here.
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 3:04 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Awesome, thanks guys... seems I was close to finding the right path. Much appreciated!

I got my new phone last week with Verizon, and they have a partnership deal whereby, if I sign with Comcast, I get $300 back (or off my bill etc). I think I will go in today and just make sure I can get Fox Soccer through them (ESPN as you say, is everywhere, standard)...

I heard that Comcast were slow in acquiring FSC, and even now its a slow rollout and some areas don't have it. But surely in techy San Fran it must be available?

Cheers!

(p.s. I'm also lucky in that my parents have a free Sky Go device slot, so, the last couple weeks since Ive been here, via a VPN service I can happily watch Sky Sports as well... if anyone wants some advice on that, let me know).

Last edited by Mucx; Mar 2nd 2012 at 3:21 pm.
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 3:13 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Originally Posted by Mucx
I heard that Comcast were slow in acquiring FSC, and even now its a slow rollout and some areas don't have it. But surely in techy San Fran it must be available?
FSC has been around here for at least six years, maybe more. What they took for ever to provide was the HD version. which appeared here in the last year. ESPN2 has been in HD for a few years. All assuming you let Comcast bleed you for a few more $$s for HD channels...
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 3:21 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

When we were looking for Fox Soccer Plus - the only provider we could get was Direct TV both in South Carolina and Indiana at a cost of $170 a month. This includes all the crap as well, the supposedly Premium package!
OH works in the soccer world and soccer is all he watches so he says it is well worth it..
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 3:29 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
FSC has been around here for at least six years, maybe more. What they took for ever to provide was the HD version. which appeared here in the last year. ESPN2 has been in HD for a few years. All assuming you let Comcast bleed you for a few more $$s for HD channels...
Ah, ok, cool... good to know. I was finding it difficult to source up to date cable company info and their channels specifically on Premiership games. I might have gotten confuzzled on that... thanks!.

I think, I may go SD only to see how I use it at first (i.e. how many times I do actually get up at 7am to watch a game)... then make a decision on HD after.
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 5:54 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

You might also want to consider getting the Fox Soccer 2 Go app for the iPhone or iPad, or just signing up for their live streaming service to watch on PC. It's $15 a month, but you have a lot of games to choose from. I use it because my wife hates football, so I end up watching it on the PC or iPhone when I'm out and about.

Come on you Wolves!!!
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 6:21 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
FSC has been around here for at least six years, maybe more. What they took for ever to provide was the HD version. which appeared here in the last year. ESPN2 has been in HD for a few years. All assuming you let Comcast bleed you for a few more $$s for HD channels...
Yeah, I was going to say, the only thing I wasn't sure about was if Comcast had FSC in HD yet. When I had it, they didn't offer it in HD.
I left Comcast for AT&T because if you have multiple TV's (I'm assuming you won't in an apartment but I may be wrong) and you want to record things and watch them in any room, Comcast's DVR's don't speak to each other. You need an individual DVR for each room and you can only watch what you record in that room. AT&T U-Verse and DirectTV allow the receivers to talk to each other so you have one central DVR and the other boxes can still play them back.

Gotta love getting the 3pm Saturday games
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 6:37 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

You're likely not to have much choice.

Just the one provider, or if you're very lucky, to have a couple for cable, but you can't really cherry pick the channels you want, it'll be grouped in with a sports package.

It's the cancellation fee you want to keep an eye out on, Comcast tend not to put you on a contract, but the rates go up massively after 12 months unless you fight and have a option of someone else to go with.

Verizon have a cheaper rate if you go on a 2 year contract, but it's a hefty cancellation fee and if you don't go contract, they'll likely knock the rate right up after the first year too.
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Old Mar 2nd 2012, 9:05 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Don't forget Gol TV, they have some of the games as well.
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Old Mar 5th 2012, 1:35 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Prob a bit late adding to this but just to clarify what others have said - these are the main ways to watch English football on TV in the USA:

*** TV:
* ESPN2 (Prem)
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espn2
Shows the early game on Sat and most Monday night games.

* FSC (Fox Soccer Channel) (Prem)
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Soccer_Channel
Schedule: http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/tvschedule

* FSP (Fox Soccer Plus) (Championship, Prem)
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Soccer_Plus
Schedule: http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccerplus/tvschedule

* Fox
Sometimes they show so-called big Prem games on Fox. This isn't that often but it is something to be aware of.

*** Online:
* ESPN3.com (Prem)
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESPN3

* foxsoccer.tv (Championship, Prem)
Schedule: http://www.foxsoccer2go.com/upcoming
Note: There are currently (as I type) no Championship games showing up on here - there are usually quite a few.

******
Obviously availability and costs are down to where you live. It does vary a bit - especially with cable providers.

Come on you Saints! As an ex-pat I want them to get promoted more than if I still lived in Southampton and went to the games. Higher ticket prices & less chance of winning games won't matter to me now. I'll just be happy to watch most games on TV - bliss!
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Old Mar 5th 2012, 1:57 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Just to add that obviously there are lots of dodgy streams out there for most Prem games. Often you can get lucky.

Personally I get sick of the un-reliability of them. I'd rather pay the $15 a month to get FSP knowing I can get up in the morning and watch it. Often in HD with surround sound. I can pause/record it. No mucking about. For me it is money well spent.
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Old Mar 5th 2012, 4:12 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Just to add, the downside to Comcast is no fox soccer plus but there's still plenty of games on FSC..as mentioned before it is sweet to be able to watch 3pm kick offs.
$7.50 a month for the sports package is great value compared to what you pay back in the UK for sky sports...and Gol TV for the classicos with English speaking commentary is a bonus too.
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Old Mar 5th 2012, 4:30 pm
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Default Re: Cable Providers & Premiership Football Confusion

Originally Posted by Duncan Roberts
Don't forget Gol TV, they have some of the games as well.
Ray Hudson alone makes Gol TV more than worth it.
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