Tributes to the military are not new to sports, but what Fox Sports is doing over a four-day weekend in Hawaii is somewhat unprecedented. Beginning Friday and culminating Monday on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, U.S. military installations on the island of Oahu will serve as the backdrop for a slew of studio and game programming, including "Fox NFL Sunday," a U.S.-Trinidad & Tobago women's soccer match and the FS1 Pearl Harbor Invitational college basketball doubleheader. In addition to staging broadcasts from military sites, Fox Sports also produced a series of vignettes remembering the attack on Pearl Harbor and highlighting some of the lesser-known aspects of the "date which will live in infamy." Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the attacks, and Fox Sports President & COO Eric Shanks previously has said that the outlet would like to be back in Pearl Harbor for another round of tributes in '16. Shanks: "It's really up to, will they have us back? … We'd like to come back for the 75th, but I think that we've got to see how this one goes first."
YOU CAN CHECK MY CREDENTIALS: Shanks noted the effort to create such an extensive military salute required the cooperation of officials from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the U.S. Department of Defense. For instance, partnering with the Navy, Fox helped renovate Bloch Arena at Pearl Harbor to resemble its 1941 configuration. Some good fortune has also been key to the effort, as Dec. 7 falling on a Monday "worked out really well with being able to plan a multi-day tribute." Shanks added, "If you thought getting a credential to an NFL sideline or any big sporting event was difficult, try getting 150 security clearances for television personnel to get on a military base." That alone has been a "monumental task, along with all the equipment we need to bring in and get cleared by the Navy." Add to that the unpredictable Hawaii weather. Shanks noted a "torrential downpour" during the setup phase had crews "playing catch-up."
SPONSORS PITCH IN: Helping stage the event are "Fox Salutes the Military" presenting sponsor Budweiser and associate sponsors Ford, USAA and 20th Century Fox' "The Revenant." Shanks said these brands are "some of Fox' longest and most-valued partners," and when Fox approached them with the concept for this weekend, their "response was amazing." The effort is "not just about ratings, it's about storytelling," and these partners will benefit from having their brands "attached with some of the great stories we're going to tell throughout the weekend."
COUNTDOWN TO "KICKOFF": Weekend programming will include a special two-hour "Fox NFL Sunday" from Pearl Harbor's Ford Pier starting at 11:00am ET. It will for one week pre-empt "Fox NFL Kickoff," which has been airing in the 11:00-12:00 slot this season after moving over from FS1. Shanks said the response has been "fantastic," and Fox execs "still scratch our heads" as to why they did not bring the show over to the flagship net sooner. Shanks noted the show currently runs on about 85% of Fox affiliates in that time slot, and that number "will continue to go up, year after year." Ratings "have gone up week by week, steady improvement," and the show has "given a bit of a boost to the initial tune-in ... to the noon show." Shanks: "The performance of 'Fox NFL Sunday' is up this year, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we have a really great show in front of it." The last three "NFL Kickoff" telecasts averaged 1.207 million viewers, up 11% from the first three airings this season that averaged 1.087 million.
