In Pursuit of the Perfect Premier League Experience

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard runs with the ball during their English Premier League soccer match against West Bromwich Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, northern England, August 29, 2010. REUTERS/Phil Noble (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT SOCCER) NO ONLINE/INTERNET USAGE WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIES PLEASE TELEPHONE ++44 (0)

Watching Saturdays games in the Premier League, theres no doubt that were spoilt for choice. Every single Premier League match was available for us to watch live thanks to a combination of Fox Soccer Channel, ESPN2, Fox Soccer Plus and FoxSoccer.tv. And knowing that we would be on an international break for the next two weeks, I consumed as much Premier League football as my body could take.

But as I was watching it, I wondered whether I was enjoying it the best way that I could. The early kick-off between Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal was a cinch. No other games were played at the same time, so I was able to sit down and watch the game in HD with few distractions.

But the rest of the weekend was a blur. For the 10am ET kickoffs, I ended up watching Tottenham against Wigan on TV, and then watched Wolves against Newcastle at the same time on my laptop, where I was streaming Wolves against Newcastle. At half-time, thanks to the DVR functionality on FoxSoccer.tv, I was able to catch up on what I missed from the first half of the Chelsea against Stoke and Blackpool versus Fulham games.

Then for the second half, I ended up watching Blackpool against Fulham on FoxSoccer.tv, while Spurs against Wigan was on in the background. When the full-time whistle blew at Bloomfield Road, I clicked around on Fox! Soccer.t v and was able to watch the match highlights for Chelsea against Stoke and Wolves against Newcastle (I just love the Match Highlights feature at half-time and at the end of the second half on FoxSoccer.tv).

Later that afternoon I watched Manchester United against West Ham United. With no other Premier League games played at the same time, it was an easier match to watch (just like Blackburn against Arsenal).

A similar experience happened on Sunday for me when I watched parts of Bolton against Birmingham, then parts of Liverpool versus West Brom and parts of Aston Villa against Everton.

But my point is, am I experiencing the games in the best way possible? The jumping back-and-forth can be annoying at times especially if I feel I may be missing something on the other stream or channel. But for me, with a busy weekend and a family to spend time with, I dont have time to sit down and watch 90 minutes of each game. Or, if I do, its only a few select games.

And this is just the TV and broadband streaming experience. There are ways to enhance the experience of watching a Premier League weekend by listening to live audio commentary, participating in chats, playing online fantasy games (in real-time) or watching a game cast (or match cast).

Sometimes I wish I supported one Premier League club and didnt have the responsibility of EPL Talk hanging over my shoulders where I need to watch every game to stay on top of how teams are doing. It would be much easier for me to support, say Bolton Wanderers, and then consume each weekend knowing that I would watch every Bolton home and away match on TV or online.

But even outside of EPL Talk, part of the reason I love watching the Premier League is the variety of the different games and teams. Every weekend there is an unbelievable story, an unbelievable game. It really is better than the movies. Extremely entertaining. Completely unpredictable. But sometimes I wonder if Im not getting the perfect experience while watching it.

Do y! ou feel like youre in the same boat, or would you like to share how you experience a Premier League weekend? Share your feedback in the comments section below.


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