The Sport Thread

Yep, MNF has always had it's own titles, the Fluke track was first used as the theme tune back in the late 90s before eventually going away for a few years and then coming back again. Most of the time it has had a different feel to the rest of Sky's coverage, it's usually been studio-based and while a lot of the analysis on the programme has been really good, it has always enjoyed its hi-tech gimmicks over the years, going right back to the days of Andy Gray loading up and spooling through his tapes.

I can't help but think that Norwich, Aston Villa & Sheffield United get a bit of a raw deal there

The various Super Sunday/Football Special and MNF titles from 1992 to 2001.

Fluke's 'Absurd' was used for the 1997/98 titles (always associate it with Arsenal's memorable title charge), then Sky dropped it the following season for Oasis (although they retained it as background music), and then 'D'You KWIM' was dropped for Fatboy Slim's 'Right Here, Right Now'.

I think by 2002 Sky just used that Dario G track (or whatever was the Super Sunday theme that season) as the MNF one.

There was a choice of commentary. Sam Smith and Nick Lester on Prime's main channel (the blue box that says "12 Aug coverage and highlights") which had interviews and was presented by Mark Petchey on site today. Barry Millns on commentary if you selected the match direct from the menu as this was the dedicated Centre Court channel commentary (split up into the individual matches on Prime) with no frills.

This has caught quite a few people out, navigation-wise, as for the Montreal final there was only commentary on the main coverage, and it wasn't obvious how to get to is, so when people clicked on the match itself they had no commentary.

Yes, navigation is shocking on Amazon though they do at least now flag the players so I just picked Murray. I guess the single commentary is a World Feed then, which for a main court at a Masters 1000 event is underwhelming.

Is there a broadcaster Sam Smith doesn't work for - turns up pretty much anywhere that has tennis, and brilliant she is too.

No, there is also a separate world feed produced by ATP Media which Prime Video do take for their main channel at Masters 1000s sometimes, usually for the night sessions, and that usually has two commentators. Prime took this from Montreal last Tuesday night for the Edmund and Norrie matches.

There is also a separate commentary channel from each of the show courts at most events which is what you were listening to earlier. It's usually the same commentator on all matches on that court for the whole day. I guess that's primarily there for smaller broadcasters who don't have their own commentators/production but want to take a different match from the world feed.



I don't think she works for Eurosport - at the AO she works for Channel 9 or Tennis Australia, so that might conflict and at Roland Garros she's at ITV. She's on Prime Video more often than she is BT Sport these days, may have left BT now actually.

Annabel Croft is the one you do hear literally everywhere. Just when I thought she too had finished working for BT she popped up on there again today.

Get ready to hear a whole load of new commentators when Prime take the WTA coverage - previously they would only be heard on WTA TV and very occasionally on BT, and they have been expanding their pool in the last few months.

Forgettable music on the current titles but fantastic visuals they’ve done better then Premier League Productions imho.

That video of the MNF titles has a different music again which seems indicate that MNF was meant to get a new theme tune. However, they did air with Fluke’s Absurd as the theme, as this video shows:



Strangely enough, originally (1992-97) it was technically Super Sunday that had the different theme tune, the famous “Here We Go...This Is It” one, while an instrumental piece was used for all other games, which mostly meant MNF as there were only 60 games pa televised in that era. Other games were “Football Special” but this was long before the era when Sky had a “Football Special” every week (which they finally changed to “Premier League Live” only in 2016).

The first of AZPV's weekly 'Back of the Net' programmes is now available.

Crouch, Logan and Bishop gelled well, I suspect several pilots have been made.

A very jolly affair. Crouch interviewing Gerrard was brilliant. Player in a mascot's costume a bit naff though. Lots of action from the Premier League over the years, surprisingly also included action from the Champions League.

Running time 33 mins.

It wouldn't surprise me to see it appear on BT Sport as a repeat in due course.

A Human Media / Sony Pictures Television production produced at BT Studios.

A La Liga rights announcement from at least one broadcaster looks imminent.

BT?

Suggestion is Premier don’t have the rights.

The fact it’s comes from you suggests maybe BT and ITV? But then I guess you’d know if another broadcaster had beaten them to the rights too.

If, and I do mean if, BT has the rights, announcing them prior to the Supercup would be a good launchpad. We'll see at 7pm.