Football First

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Football First is an interactive television programme which offers Sky Sports viewers extended highlights of every Premiership match played on the day, which fans can also choose which games they would like to watch, just after the full match. It regularly airs on Saturdays at 8.25pm, and is currently presented by either Ed Chamberlin or Matt Lorenzo, taking over from Claire Tomlinson.

[edit] Overview

The show first broadcasted on Saturday 14th August 2004, at 8.25 with two main parts to the programme:

• GAME OF THE DAY: On-air at 8.25pm with the full 90 minutes of a match selected from the day's 3pm kick-offs, no match shown live on Sky Sports is considered. The decision on the Game of the Day is made after 5pm every Premiership Saturday, and announced on Soccer Saturday.

• MATCH CHOICE: At 10.15 pm, a choice from extended highlights of every game played that day. Sky Digital viewers are offered a menu of up to eight Premiership games, which they can choose to watch their own team or any other featured. Highlights of all games run for about 50 minutes each. If there is a Monday Night Football Match, along with other Premiership Games, throughout the day, Football First would go straight to Match Choice.

After a full Match Choice, Ed Chamberlin or Matt Lorenzo along with a studio guest, usually a footballer such as John Salako, Warren Barton, or Paul Walsh, who would discuss the main developments of the day, along with stats, goals and analysing key events of the game.

The music currently used for the round-up of goals is Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control) by Groove Armada & Mutya Buena.

[edit] How Match Choice Works

To choose a game, Sky Digital viewers can simply press the red button on their Sky Digital handset during Match Choice and launch ‘Sky Sports Active’ to see an on-screen menu of matches. The number, or ‘scroll’ and ‘select’ keys, are used to choose a match or switch between matches. Viewers who do not use the interactive service - or do not have Sky Digital - will see 50 minutes of highlights from one given matchday number.

The service is however only available to UK and Republic of Ireland viewers, who subscribe to Sky Digital.

[edit] Football First commentators

A large number of top commentators appear on Football First, including Sky's regulars such as Martin Tyler and Rob Hawthorne. Others include John Anderson, Gary Weaver, Daniel Mann, Gary Taphouse and Tony Jones. These are the same feeds as TWI uses for the international audience.