11/05/24
March 06, 2013
New Fox Channel Takes on ESPN: On Aug. 17, a new Fox Sports 1 network is launching as a direct competitor to the Beast of Bristol. The network will air college basketball and football, a 26-week slate of Major League Baseball (starting in 2014), UEFA Champions League soccer and men's and women's World Cup soccer, a nightly news program competing with SportsCenter and an hour-long evening show hosted by Regis Philbin.
Is it replacing one of their current channels? Speed, Fuel, Fox Soccer?
posted by Steve-o at 07:55 PM on March 06, 2013
Speed has had "Fox Sports" on the logo for a few months now and I've been led to believe that Speed is becoming a sports channel.
posted by Drood at 08:15 PM on March 06, 2013
...and an hour-long evening show hosted by Regis Philbin.
[record scratch noise]
posted by Etrigan at 08:48 PM on March 06, 2013
It's out of control!
posted by rcade at 09:00 PM on March 06, 2013
As a Canadian, we have three active national sports networks, and it's a very good thing. I can watch poker on three different channels in the afternoon!
Seriously, the national (and regional versions) of these stations means that almost every single Canadian hockey game is on TV. The two biggest networks even came together as a team to broadcast the last couple of Olympics, which provided unprecedented coverage for those that wanted it.
posted by grum@work at 10:02 PM on March 06, 2013
As a Canadian, all of our sports networks are based in Toronto, so we get prioritized coverage of the Leafs on 3 different networks. 24 hours a day. 365 days a year.
More networks aren't always better.
posted by cixelsyd at 10:34 PM on March 06, 2013
As a Canadian, all of our sports networks are based in Toronto, so we get prioritized coverage of the Leafs on 3 different networks. 24 hours a day. 365 days a year.
Yikes, isn't there something against that in the Geneva conventions?
posted by MeatSaber at 11:18 PM on March 06, 2013
...and an hour-long evening show hosted by Regis Philbin.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:40 AM on March 07, 2013
Maybe they can make a trade - Philbin for Strahan.
posted by 67nickel at 09:02 AM on March 07, 2013
Maybe this network will recognize that hockey exists.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 09:15 AM on March 07, 2013
hour-long evening show hosted by Regis
Habemus Philbin
Working up the concepts for the show should be no problem.
posted by beaverboard at 09:16 AM on March 07, 2013
Champions League and World Cup ... but no European domestic soccer?
(snickers because NBA Sports swiped the EPL and beIn is taking more countries that could have been available to Fox)
posted by jjzucal at 02:44 PM on March 07, 2013
Regis Philbin??? My God, he's 10 years older than I am and he's had triple-bypass heart surgery. I surely hope that Fox keeps some resuscitation equipment handy on the set. He's supposed to be a sports talk show host. That means he will have guests. Will they be able to get a word in edgewise? Should there be a call-in feature, it could really get entertaining when Philbin's geriatric fans call to say how much they love the way he talks to those mean old football coaches. All I can say to Fox is, "Fox Sports, is that your final answer?"
posted by Howard_T at 04:51 PM on March 07, 2013
FS1 is replacing Speed but my question is what about Fox Soccer Channel? If CL and WC are going to FS1, that leaves zero other soccer under contact at Fox...
posted by billsaysthis at 10:52 PM on March 07, 2013
We hope Kathie Lee doesn't join the the Regis.
posted by hardrane at 12:39 PM on March 08, 2013
Fox Sports World, which shared a lot of content with Fox Soccer, has been shut down here for a year or so.
Curious what happens to Speed here now. With F1 gone to NBC my reasons for keeping it are pretty much non-existent now as the channel is utter shit.
posted by Drood at 09:57 PM on March 08, 2013
I can only presume at least FSC Plus will be gone, or combined with, FSC with its rugby coverage moving over and whatever European soccer leagues it can grab, which would put it against GOL TV for whatever beIn hasn't grabbed. Surely they wouldn't go for coverage of English League One and below just to say it still has English soccer matches.
Eventually, even FSC likely will die and everything will go to FS1.
posted by jjzucal at 05:35 PM on March 09, 2013
I hope Fox Soccer stays alive and tries to get back some of these leagues when their contracts are up. Did they lose the FA Cup too?
posted by rcade at 10:08 AM on March 10, 2013
Read somewhere that FSC will eventually become FX2. (Can't find the link now and most sports sites are blocked at work.)
posted by goddam at 11:14 AM on March 11, 2013
More competition sounds like a good thing to me. ESPN has heartily abused its monopoly on television sports coverage.