MLS returns to Fox this year after a three-year absence, and studio host Rob Stone said fans "should expect a stronger product on the screen" than they have seen in the past, according to Jonathan Tannenwald of PHILLY.com. Stone said preparations "are in full gear right now" despite the league and MLSPU's labor impasse. Stone: "It's this continued this drive, and [analyst Alexi Lalas] and I have seen it, toward the authenticity of what this sport is, no matter what the league." Tannenwald noted John Strong "is going to be the play-by-play voice" for Fox, and broadcast windows "will be two and a half hours, with pregame and studio elements." Lalas said, "The fact that there is a destination (schedule) now. You know when and where to go. We have to use that to our advantage." Stone added there is a "synergy on Sunday between two networks (ESPN and Fox) that are coming together to really strengthen this brand and this league." Asked to define success for Fox with MLS, Stone said, "More eyeballs is always a success -- it doesn't matter who you talk to. I think people walking away from our product saying, 'They got it right, they get it,' and they can calm down -- to me, that's success." Lalas added, "Just having people tune in on a consistent basis, and tune in because they are interested and excited to see what is going to be done in that window that we have. Even the inevitable compare-and-contrast that's going to be done between the two networks ... that's okay, as long as people are tuning in." He said, "The other window (on ESPN) coming before us is going to make us better, and we believe that what we're going to do is going to make them better" (PHILLY.com, 3/2).
ADDED TIME: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds noted should the league and union "come to terms, or continue to negotiate, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network will simulcast" Friday's Fire-Galaxy opener at 10:00pm ET. Univision Deportes President Juan Carlos Rodriguez noted the match "will mark the first time Spanish-language services, aggregating their ratings, kick off a major U.S. sports league’s campaign." Reynolds noted Univision is "upping its MLS game considerably via a relaunched website" and it also will "offer an English-language SAP option for all its telecasts, with former U.S. national team player Paul Caligiuri providing the commentary." Univision’s Saturday coverage of Liga MX, the "most-watched soccer circuit in North America, for the first time will include live look-ins of MLS action and goals." Rodriguez noted that Univision’s game plan also calls for highlight show "Somos MLS" (We Are MLS), to air on UDN, beginning Sunday, at 10:00pm and "serve as a weekly recap." MLS segments are "on tap for 'Republica Deportiva,' 'Futbol Club,' 'Contacto Deportivo' and 'Locura Deportiva,' and the U.S. Spanish-language media leader also will leverage player appearances within some of its entertainment programming" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 2/28).
