Breaking Down Sky Sports English Premier League Schedule

Sky Sports recently released its television schedule for the upcoming 2013-14 English Premier League Season (The Telegraph).

While Manchester United are coming off a record 20th Premier League title campaign, it is Chelsea and Jose Mourinho who will be shown most frequently on Sky Sports during the months of August through December, with eight appearances on Sky Sports for the Blues.

Unsurprisingly, the two Manchester Clubs, with their new managers David Moyes and Manuel Pellegrini, are tied for the second-most appearances with seven each for the Red Devils and the Sky Blues. The highly anticipated Manchester Derby is, of course, one of those matches: The rivalry gets renewed on Sunday, September 22, 2013 on Sky Sports.

Hull City is tied with Stoke City, which is sporting American internationals Geoff Cameron and Brek Shea, for fewest appearances. The Potters and the Tigers are only on the Sky Sports airways twice from August through December in English Premier League action.

Rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are tied for the third-most appearances with six English Premier League Sky Sports broadcasts respectively. The first installment of the North-London Derby in the upcoming EPL campaign is of those matches. The Gunners and the Lilywhites face off on Sunday, September 1, 2013 on Sky Sports.

Five clubs are hovering right around the average (4.25) number of Sky Sports English Premier League appearances.

Liverpool, Newcastle United and Sunderland are all being shown five times apiece; with Swansea City and West Ham United being shown four times apiece. Some matches to look forward to for these clubs include Liverpool against Manchester United on Sunday, September 1, West Ham United against Manchester City on Saturday, October 19 and Swansea City against Arsenal on Saturday, August 28.

Eight clubs are tied for the second-least Sky Sports appearances with three each: Aston Villa, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Norwich City, Southampton and West Bromwich.

Overall, there are not too many surprises in terms of which teams are getting the most attention.

What do you think of the Sky Sports English Premier League television schedule?