FX will air sports programming “for the first time in five years” during the college football season, as it will air a package of 14 games primarily from FSN’s deals with the Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences, according to John Ourand in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The channel will air games every Saturday from Sept. 3 through Dec. 3, though they “will not have a dedicated time slot.” The net "expects to make its first three selections by June." FX will pick its subsequent games "no more than 12 days out." FX also is a “likely destination for Conference USA’s championship game -- though that game could be moved to Fox.” Putting college games on FX is a sign that Fox “is serious about adding more sports to the cable channel.” The net “stripped sports from its schedule five years ago, after televising MLB games and NASCAR races.” However, Fox execs recently have been “trying to figure out how to get them back on.” Execs believe live sports “is a reason why TNT commands higher subscriber fees -- more than $1 per subscriber per month to FX’s rate in the mid-40 cents range -- as well as higher ratings.” FX “figures to be at the table as professional and college TV rights come up” in the coming years (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/28 issue).
