Fox Sports Int'l will launch Fox Sports in Central and
Eastern Europe on May 5, and the channel will broadcast 11
hours per day, seven days per week. Countries that will
receive the channel include Russia, Romania, Turkey,
Hungary, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. The channel will
be marketed and distributed by Fox Kids Europe (Fox Sports).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Mimi Turner writes that the launch
of the channel will mark the "first time the Fox Sports
brand has come to Europe, though it already has significant
exposure in Latin America and some presence in the Middle
East." Under a deal with satellite distributor Eutelsat,
the new channel will air from 7:00pm-6:00am locally on the
Fox Kids Europe transponder, after which the channel will
revert back to the Fox Kids programming. The channel will
carry a "blend of U.S. and international content, ranging
from South American soccer to U.S. boxing and ice hockey."
Turner notes that the channel "will compete against pan-
European sports channel Eurosport, which is well established
across the continent." Company reps said that Fox Sports
Int'l "will make a play for European sports rights to key
events as they arise over the next few years." Fox Sports
"declined to comment on how much it would invest in
acquiring costly European rights," but did say the amount
would be "considerable" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/18).
