FSN outlines BCS show, signs KFC

Fox Sports Network will unveil the BCS rankings every other week during the Sunday night college football series it plans to debut Oct. 15.

New York Giants star Michael Strahan is featured in the new FSN reality show “Make My Day.”

Under terms of the BCS deal Fox signed two years ago, “The Official BCS Ratings Show” will run at 9:30 p.m. ET every Sunday. The FSN show will have exclusive access to the BCS rankings every other week. When not announced on FSN, the rankings will be released on Fox during its NFL postgame show, “The OT,” when the network broadcasts NFL doubleheaders.

FSN has signed KFC as the presenting sponsor of its show. Sources said the deal was north of $1 million.

KFC will be included in all promotional material for the show and be featured in the opening and closing billboards. KFC also will sponsor an in-show segment, such as the “Match-Up of the Week.”

“It’s part of a larger media commitment KFC made to the network,” said Adam Holzer, FSN’s senior vice president of ad sales. He added that the show is “basically sold out.”

Tom Helmer will host the show, with Petros Papadakis and Gary Barnett providing analysis. Former players Jason Sehorn, Eddie George and Tim Brown also will contribute.

FSN also has signed DirecTV to be the presenting sponsor of “The Final Score,” the net’s nightly highlights show that starts at 11:30 p.m. during the week and 10:30 p.m. on the weekends. The one-year deal is worth $1.5 million, sources said.

DirecTV will have its logo on-screen and signage on the set. Its logo will be included on promotional materials, and it will sponsor a segment during the show.

“DirecTV was really excited about taking ownership over a sports news show,” Holzer said.

FSN is reporting that its ad inventory is 90 percent sold for “Make My Day,” a reality program featuring NFL player Michael Strahan. It also debuts Oct. 15, at 9 p.m. The series features Strahan and another athlete, such as Chad Johnson or Jerry Rice, spending the day with one of their biggest fans.

Holzer is trying to sign product integration deals.