All you need to know about Sky Sports Golf

Here is everything you need to know about Sky Sport’s new dedicated golf channel.

This summer Sky has introduced brand new channels focussing on dedicated sports content, so that viewers can experience their favourite sports to the fullest. Included in these brand new offerings is Sky Sports Golf (Sky Channel 405); a place where viewers can watch live golf 48 weeks of the year with award-winning commentary and analysis, as well as a range of golfing shows and documentaries.

What can viewers expect from Sky Sports Golf?

Sky Sports Golf is the only place to see every day of The Open Championship, and US Open live. The channel will also be the exclusive home of the European, PGA, Ladies European and Ladies PGA Tour with a live event at least 48 weeks a year, and will air exclusive live coverage of the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup.

As well as a comprehensive weekly live coverage from the European and PGA Tour, the Sky Sports Golf channel will offer exclusive interviews with players and caddies to get you closer to the game, with Sky’s top golf talent on-hand to improve your play. Fans will be able to improve their game with help from our expert coaches, including the likes of Butch Harmon.

Sky Sports App: Get more of the sport you love whenever and wherever you are

Sky Sports is bringing you new digital services to suit your busy lifestyle.

As of August 2017, you can get more of the sport you love with improved personalisation on the new-look Sky Sports app. The Sky Sports app is being relaunched on smartphone and tablet, with brand new features to help you follow the sports, teams and athletes you are the most passionate about.

You’ll have access to:

• The ‘My Sky Sports’ service with the content you want thanks to better personalisation
• Enhanced live experience to make watching live sport on the go even better and more interactive
• First look, early access to the best content exclusively for Sky Sports customers

Additionally, a brand new key incidents timeline will be available from August, so that fans can watch key moments from any sports games.

[Sky Sports App: Requires compatible device and 3G/Wifi. See sky.com/shop/tv/sky-apps for full details.]

Get the most of out the new Premier League season with Sky Sports

The new Premier League season starts August 12 and now football fans can watch it like never before with the UK’s first ever dedicated Premier League channel.

The way we watch sport is evolving and Sky is leading the way for change with a brand new set of dedicated sports channels on July 18. One of the most exciting new additions to the 10 channels is Sky Sports Premier League (Sky channel 402); a channel focussed entirely on everything to do with, you guessed it, the Premier League.

What can viewers expect from Sky Sports Premier League?

Sports Premier League will be the new home of the top-flight and its heroes, broadcasting 126 live Premier League games as the likes of Paul Pogba, Philippe Coutinho and Harry Kane renew rivalries. Experts, including Gary Neville, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp, will continue to deliver cutting-edge analysis and the hottest topics will be discussed in a new nightly Premier League debate show.

You’ll be able to watch live games in Ultra HD with Sky Q – starting with Arsenal’s Friday Night Football opener against Leicester – and follow the action on the move with in-game clips, highlights and key moments in the new-look Sky Sports app.

ITV’s virtual reality Grand National coverage: Is VR the future of sport?

Last Saturday, a crowd of 50,000 racegoers watched as One For Arthur claimed victory at the Grand National at Aintree. 8.2 million watched the race as it took place live on ITV. It is estimated that 600 million watch coverage of British racing’s biggest day worldwide.

It seems only fitting then that ITV has teamed up with virtual reality outfit VR City and media agency Goodstuff to create a virtual reality highlights video, allowing fans to get a 360-degree insight into the weekend’s biggest moments.

Available to watch now on ITV’s official YouTube, the new highlights video allows people at home the chance to step inside Aintree Racecourse during racing’s most famous day. Ed Ross, head of marketing and media at ITV, said one the aim of the coverage was “to give viewers ‘the best seat in the house'”.

The decision to make highlights coverage virtual reality is a step towards a future for sports broadcasting that looks increasingly VR-oriented.

We strapped on our cardboard virtual reality glasses to check out the footage that might be leading the way in the future of sports broadcasting.

Our first thoughts are that we’re still a long way from where VR sports coverage has to go next. The three-minute video is dizzying, skips between highlights too quickly and is far too brief to allow anyone to immerse themselves fully in the events of the day. It is a sad stand-in for actually being part of the buzz of the day, or even watching the race from the comfort of one’s sofa.

That said, it’s still an interesting glimpse into the future. Virtual reality might become the closest one can get to being inside the stadium and examining exactly what one wants to examine and when. When entire stadiums can be explored via VR, and entire games watched from the viewpoint of ‘the best seat in the house’, it’s going to revolutionise how fans watch sport. And that is incredibly exciting.

Cheltenham Festival 2017: When and where can I watch it?

It’s less than one month until the world famous Cheltenham Festival takes place at Prestbury Park.

Cheltenham Festival is the home of some of horse racing’s most famous races, including the Stan James Champion Hurdle and the Timico Gold Cup.

Tickets are available to buy now to attend in person, but if like us you prefer to watch the races from the comfort of your own home here’s everything you need to know about the television coverage.

When is Cheltenham Festival?

Cheltenham Festival takes place from Tuesday, March 14 to Friday, March 17 in 2017.

It takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse in Prestbury Park, Gloucestershire.

Each day, the first race will begin at 1.30pm and the last race takes place at 5.30pm.

Which races take place?

Tuesday is called Champion Day and features the most important hurdle race of the season, known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle. Last year, Annie Power won the race in a record-breaking 3 minutes 45.1 seconds.

Wednesday is Ladies Day, when female attendees have the chance to grab £10,000 at the Festival’s annual Best Dressed Lady competition. The Betwar Queen Mother Champion Chase is the biggest race of the day. Sprinter Sacre won the honours in 2016.

Thursday celebrates St Patrick’s Day at the Festival with live Irish music and barrels upon barrels of Guinness. On the racecourse, The Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase are the ones to watch.

Friday is Gold Cup Day. This is the day the Cheltenham Timico Gold Cup, the feature race of the Festival, will be awarded. Last year, Don Cossack won the iconic prize.

Where will it be televised?

Coverage of the week’s action will be televised live on ITV.

Who will present?

Former Sky Sports News presenter Ed Chamberlin is ITV’s main host. Formerly a journalist and bookmaker with a passion for horseracing, Chamberlin is perfectly placed at the forefront of ITV’s coverage.

Joining Chamberlin for the Flat season is Francesca Cumani, who was formerly lead racing analyst for Australia’s Seven Network.

Who will commentate?

Veteran commentator Richard Hoiles is lead commentator, alongside Mark Johnson.

What are the odds?

Stan James Champion Hurdle

Buveur Dair is the favourite, with odds of 7/2 from Paddy Power. Close behind is Yanworth with 9/2 odds from Stan James.

Queen Mother Champion Chase

Douvan is the favourite to win, with odds as low as 1-3 from bookmakers such as Betfred, Coral and Ladbrokes.

Ryanair Chase

Un De Sceaux is the hot favourite for this one, with best odds from Betfair at 4-1.

Sun Bet’s Stayers Hurdle

Unowhatimeanharry is at 11-8 on Betfair.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

Thistlecrack is the gambler’s favourite, with best odds of 15/8 from Betfair.