Tune in to the biggest battle of the season as Sky and BT Sport go head to head "BT is very different to those companies," says Marc Watson, BT Sport's chief executive. We can afford to get behind our investments and make them successful. We are a British company, and because this is our home market, the rewards for being successful are pretty significant. Where we've got a customer relationship, we can also sell them other things and unlock value in the market that those other companies weren't able to. Central to this is the decision to give BT Sport's channels away for free, provided you subscribe to their broadband service, which Sky hold up as an example of where the new broadcaster's priorities really lie. But Watson believes that there is a vast untapped market of households who want to watch sport, but would never consider paying for it separately. "For the first time in the last 20 years," he says, "Premier League football can be available for free. Only one in five households take premium sport today. That's not to do with a lack of marketing. We think there is actually a much broader interest in sport in this country, and the key difference is making sport more accessible to more people. Publicly, Sky have largely affected a dignified indifference to BT's concerted drum-banging. Privately, however, they will admit that the new challenger has spurred them to enhance their own offering. Sky is a broadcaster that has never been content to sit still, and the new season brings with it new ideas. They, too, are going free for the opening day of the season, while their Saturday offering has also been revamped, with a live Football League game at lunchtime and a new "Saturday Night Football" programme built around the evening match and filmed in front of a live audience. "If I was a football fan at home, that's what I'd want," says Gary Hughes, Sky Sports" head of football. We respect the game, we give every game the build-up that is necessary, and our pundits the platform to give the best analysis. This year we've got Jamie Carragher, who trained with Luis Suárez last week. There's nothing better than for Jamie or Gary Neville to tell us what that dressing room will be like on the first day of the season. They've got unique insights that people want to hear. The task facing BT was placed into sharp relief by early figures showing that the first episode of The Clare Balding Show, the channel's sport-themed chat show featuring one of the nation's best-loved presenters, attracted a peak audience of just 8,000 viewers. The road ahead will be long and arduous. But if they manage to establish themselves, then they will have succeeded in changing the face of British sports broadcasting forever. The spectre of competition has already driven two of our biggest companies to unprecedented lengths. If all the thousands of hours and billions of pounds can translate themselves into quality, then the biggest winners of this bun-fight may ultimately be us. Screen test: how the teams match up Presenter Sky Ed Chamberlain: Unflappable, dependable, unassuming. The James Milner of broadcasting. BT Jake Humphrey: The BBC's former F1 presenter faces a big step-up to Premier League level. Chief pundit Sky Jamie Redknapp: Rarely misplaces a pass, now can he add some flair to his game? BT Owen Hargreaves: Thoughtful midfield operator capable of attacking surge. Commentator Sky Martin Tyler: The grizzled veteran, still banging them in for fun after four decades in the job. BT Ian Darke He has been recalled from the United States and is poised for his big comeback. Chief analyst Sky Gary Neville: Peerless. The Spanish call him El Pundíto Fantástico. BT Michael Owen: Excellent pedigree for his new role off the pitch. Will want some big early performances to settle the nerves.