Fox Sports is preparing for its most ambitious soccer schedule in its 21-year history.
The company plans to produce more than 200 live soccer games across three networks from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Fox Sports 1 will carry the most games (94), followed by Fox Sports 2 (87). The broadcast channel will carry 20 games.
“We have to use all three networks to really get all these matches in,” said Bill Wanger, Fox Sports executive vice president of programming, research and content strategy. “We will use [Fox’s broadcast channel] where it makes sense and when it’s appropriate.”
Fox’s biggest commitment, of course, is with the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which kicks off Saturday. Fox will have its main set in Vancouver, which it will use for more than just World Cup matches.
Fox will produce pregame shows from a U.S. men’s national team friendly and the Champions League final from the Vancouver set, Wanger said. The Champions League final kicks off the same day as the start of the Women’s World Cup.
“It’s a matter of survival,” Wanger joked of producing pregame shows for other events from Vancouver. Of course, Fox will produce Women’s World Cup studio shows from the set such as “FIFA Women’s World Cup Today” and “FIFA Women’s World Cup Tonight.”
Fox’s set is two stories outside of the BC Place stadium that will house the Women’s World Cup Final. The set has
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Fox will have its main World Cup set in Vancouver.
Photo by: Fox Sports |
the Vancouver skyline as the backdrop from one view and the stadium as the backdrop for another view.
Fox plans to carry 16 Women’s World Cup matches on its broadcast channel, five of which are scheduled for prime time. Fox Sports 1 will have 29 games; Fox Sports 2 is slated to have seven.
Fox executives crowed about soccer’s audience, which they say is younger, more upscale and more educated than other sports.
Fox also has been pleased with its soccer TV ratings so far this year, with executives pointing to 18-49 demo increases for its coverage of UEFA (up 62 percent), Europa (up 85 percent) and MLS (up 70 percent over NBC Sports Network’s coverage last year).
Fox Sports’ coverage of the U.S. men’s national team game against Mexico averaged 806,000 viewers, making it Fox Sports 1’s most watched soccer match in the channel’s short history.
“We want to keep that momentum going,” Wanger said.
