Sky will broadcast its first ever free-to-air live match on the opening day of the new season amid its escalating battle with BT Sport.

As part of a revamped schedule, it will show its 5.30pm Premier League kick-off live on 17 August as well as a Football League match live at lunchtime

In the face of BT’s marketing onslaught, Sky is keen to emphasise it still has vastly more Premier League matches – 116 live games for which it is paying £2.3bn over three years – and its range of live sport.

Sky Sports 1 will shift to Sky 2 for the day, allowing Sky viewers who do not subscribe to the sports package to watch for nothing, and on Freeview and YouView services (only available in the UK and not Spain) it will take over Pick TV for the day.

Sky and BT are currently going head to head in picking their first tranche of live matches, with the results expected to be announced in the first week of July. BT has emphasised its 15 “first pick” matches, but Sky still retains the upper hand because it can decide which weekends it has first choice on.

The weekend schedule is as follows:

Saturday: (available free on Saturday, August 17)
10am – Soccer AM
Helen Chamberlain and Max Rushden return for another season of football fun
12 noon – FL72 – Live
New Saturday kick off time for live matches from the Football League
2.30pm – Saturday Night Football – Team Talk
David Jones and Jamie Redknapp preview the 3pm kick-offs
3pm – Soccer Saturday (also 12-6pm on Sky Sports News HD)
Jeff Stelling and the boys return with all the news, views and analysis
5pm – Saturday Night Football – Live
David and Jamie debate the early matches and present the live late match
8pm – Saturday Night Football – Game of the Day
From the same studio, Sarah-Jane Mee presents full replay of the best 3pm match
10pm – Saturday Night Football – Match Choice
45-minute highlights from all Saturday 3pm fixtures available via the red button

Sunday
9.30am – Sunday Supplement
Fleet Street’s finest debate all the biggest talking points each week
11am – Goals on Sunday
Saturday’s matches reviewed by Ben Shephard, Chris Kamara and guests
1pm – Super Sunday
Up to two live matches with analysis from Graeme Souness, Niall Quinn and more
6.30pm – La Liga
Live coverage from Spain including regular Barcelona and Real Madrid matches

Monday
7-11pm – Monday Night Football
Detailed analysis of the weekend’s matches and talking points in a new look studio