Yet another Norwich City fixture looks set to be moved for live television broadcast – but that won’t worry Daniel Farke’s team, they love playing in front of the TV cameras.
The Canaries are unbeaten in their last 12 league matches which have been shown live on Sky Sports, stretching back to a 2-0 home win over Brighton in April 2017, shortly before Farke’s arrival the next month.
Ever since then City have had 11 games beamed to the nation, winning nine and drawing two, with last month’s 3-0 derby victory over Ipswich at Carrow Road the latest televised success.
Canaries supporters are now hoping to see that good form in front of the cameras continue, as four of the next five matches have been selected for live broadcast – as Sky jump on City’s promotion bandwagon.
That looks likely to be added to by the trip to Wigan in April, after an article was published on the Sky Sports website yesterday stating that the game has been moved to a midday kick-off on Sunday, April 14 – only to later be removed, causing confusion.
While fans await confirmation of the date for that game at the DW Stadium – currently still the scheduled 3pm kick-off on Saturday, April 13 – four of the next five are definitely confirmed for Sky coverage, starting with Friday night’s Carrow Road clash with mid-table Swansea.
Next Wednesday’s visit of play-off chasing Hull (7.45pm) is followed by a regular Saturday 3pm game, not on TV, at Rotherham on Saturday, March 16.
An international break follows but when Farke’s squad return to action they have three Sky games on the spin to look forward to, starting with the trip to promotion rivals Middlesbrough, a 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday, March 30.
Home games against QPR on Saturday, April 6 (12.30pm) and Reading on Wednesday, April 10 (7.45pm) follow as the campaign enters the finishing straight for Championship sides.
MORE: Club records within reach as promotion hopes grow at Norwich City
Of course in reality it makes little difference for the players. They are surrounded by cameras of varying types at every game now, with official streaming services also available for some midweek matches.
However, you can never have too many good omens in football and being selected for so many games for live broadcast, with all the bells and whistles of Sky Sports coverage, means Farke’s team must be doing something right.
Entertainment value could well play a factor in that as well.
City’s matches have featured a total of 116 goals so far this season, 71 of them scored by the division’s leading scorers.
Only West Brom’s games have featured more (124), with Aston Villa (114) and Brentford (104) not far behind in the entertainment stakes.
The least entertaining? Little surprise, it’s Tony Pulis’s Boro, whose games have featured a paltry 62 goals, with the next lowest being struggling Bolton (77).
Two of City’s cup ties were also shown live last season, against Chelsea in the FA Cup third round. The 0-0 draw at Carrow Road was shown by BT Sport and the replay was live on BBC One, a 1-1 draw thanks to Jamal Lewis’s late header at Stamford Bridge taking the game to extra-time, before the Premier League side won a penalty shootout 5-3.
So let’s make that 14 unbeaten in front of the cameras then...
• The date of City’s trip to Wigan is expected to be confirmed in the next few days
RESULTS OF TV FIXTURES
2016-17
• Fri, Apr 21 – Brighton (h) – W2-0
2017-18
• Sat, Sept 30 – Reading (a) – W2-1
• Sun, Oct 22 – Ipswich (a) – W1-0
• Sat, Dec 9 – Sheff Weds (h) – W1-0
• Sun, Feb 18 – Ipswich (h) – D1-1
• Sat, Apr 7 – Aston Villa (h) – W3-1
2018-19
• Sat, Sept 22 – QPR (a) – W1-0
• Tues, Oct 23 – Aston Villa (h) – W2-1
• Sat, Dec 15 – Bristol City (a) – D2-2
• Fri, Jan 18 – Birmingham (h) – W3-1
• Sat, Feb 2 – Leeds Utd (a) – W3-1
• Sun, Feb 10 – Ipswich (h) – W3-0
APPROACHING TV FIXTURES
• Fri, Mar 8 – Swansea (7.45pm) H
• Wed, Mar 13 – Hull City (7.45pm) H
• Sat, Mar 30 – Middlesbrough (5.30pm) A
• Sat, Apr 6 – QPR (12.30pm) H
• Wed, Apr 10 – Reading (7.45pm) H
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