Fans of the English Premier League won't just have the novelty of simulated crowd noises when the matches restart on Wednesday June 17 – Sky Sports has also announced a new feature that will let you video chat with friends during live games.
The new Fanzone feature, which will be available on the Sky Sports app and website, could be a useful new addition for fans who are socially distancing or simply want to enjoy the matches with far-flung friends.
According to Sky, the feature will only be available for "select matches" and there's no news yet on how many people will be able to live chat simultaneously.
But the main reason why it might be a better bet than using the likes of Zoom or Houseparty are the added match-related features. These will apparently include in-match polls and Sky Sports game stats, to help back up your expert observations and commentary.
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The Fanzone video room will also let fans "influence the crowd noise they hear on screen", which presumably means it'll work in tandem with the "range of bespoke and team-specific crowd noises and chants" that Sky has already announced from its partnership with EA.
Filling the box
The new Fanzone feature and optional crowd noises won't be the only bonus extras coming to Sky Sports' Premier League coverage – the broadcaster has promised to "unveil further innovations to further enhance the experience for fans", along with its full schedule of live matches and channels.
The fixture list for the first 32 matches of the English Premier League has been announced, with 11 of the matches available free-to-air in the UK on the BBC, Amazon and Sky Sports via its Pick channel. The cheapest way to watch the rest of Sky Sports' games in the UK is with a Now TV Sky Sports Pass (£5.99 a month, mobile-only).
In the US, NBC Sports has the rights to every Premier League game – you get a Matchday Pass for $39.99, or if you want replays included to cover awkward kick-off times, then you'll need to shell out $64.99 for its Premier League Pass.
Australian Premier League fans can catch every game on Optus Sports – if you're not already signed up to the telecommunications network, you can catch the games via Google Play or the App Store with a AUS$15 per month monthly subscription.
Wherever you are, we'll let you know how you can watch every Premier League game when the rest of the fixtures are announced – but in the meantime check out our Premier League 19/20 live stream: how to watch every game online and from anywhere guide.
