We have this huge giant press release from Fox Sports in regards to its launch tomorrow. Fox wants to remind us of its studio programming, the live sports and the on-air hires the network has made and other stuff we’ll see on the channel starting tomorrow.
There’s no need to rehash everything. Just look at it and you’ll be all set. I’ll publish a channel guide for the major cable and satellite providers for Fox Sports 1 later tonight.
Here’s the 9,648-word press release.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT … FOX SPORTS 1 RECAP
The news coming out from FOX Sports has been fast and furious in the last few months, especially with the launch of FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network debuting tomorrow morning. Below is a recap of the new broadcaster hires, new sports packages and programming plans that have been announced to the press dating back to July 1.
- FULL DISTRIBUTION – Fox’s new national sports network, FOX Sports 1, will debut on Saturday, Aug. 17, with every major distributor on board, making this the biggest sports cable network launch in history, and one of the largest network launches ever.
- DAY 1 on FOX SPORTS 1 – FOX Sports 1 officially launches at 6:00 AM ET on Saturday, Aug. 17, marking a new era in sports television. The first thing viewers will see as the channel goes on air is a promise – a promise from FOX Sports to the viewer, affirming the network’s commitment to always put the fan first. Once FOX Sports 1 is officially on the air, the first program to hit the airwaves is FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL KICKOFF, beginning at 6:00 AM ET. Taped this week, the one-hour season preview highlights key title contenders and potential superstars and features interviews and expert analysis. Following FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL KICKOFF are back-to-back episodes of FANTASTIC FINISHES, a 30-minute program that relives legendary last-second finishes in sports. Live programming begins at 8:00 AM ET with six and a half hours of NASCAR coverage, beginning with NASCAR LIVE and featuring a guest appearance from NASCAR Hall of Famer and NASCAR on FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip.
- FOX SPORTS LIVE – Sports personality Charissa Thompson, NBA great Gary Payton and past NFL stars Donovan McNabb and Ephraim Salaam join tennis legend Andy Roddick to provide analysis and commentary for FOX SPORTS LIVE, the flagship news, opinion and highlights program airing nightly on FOX Sports 1. FOX SPORTS LIVE debuts Aug. 17 at 11:00 PM ET, with refreshed editions airing at 12:00 AM ET and 1:00 AM ET.
- NFL on FOX – Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver return for their 12th season on NFL on FOX, making them the NFL’s longest-running broadcast team. This year marks Buck’s 20th with FOX Sports and Aikman’s 13th, while Oliver is in her 19th campaign. The trio calls its first regular season game of the year from San Francisco Week 1, as the defending NFC Champion 49ers host the 2012 NFC North Champion Green Bay Packers at 4:25 PM ET. The season concludes Feb. 2, as FOX broadcasts Super Bowl XLVIII from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (A full list of NFL on FOX broadcast teams included in the complete press release.).
- FOX FOOTBALL DAILY – FOX Sports unveiled a star-studded lineup headlining FOX FOOTBALL DAILY, the new, year-round weekday football show and FOX NFL KICKOFF, a one-hour Sunday morning pregame program, both carried by FOX Sports 1. Joining FOX Sports’ already stellar roster of football experts are four former NFL standouts fresh off the field: five-time Pro Bowl defensive back and Tampa Bay Buccaneers great, Ronde Barber; former New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champion linebacker and defensive captain, Scott Fujita (@sfujita55); NFL record-holding wide receiver Randy Moss (@RandyMoss); and recently-retired Chicago Bears linebacker and eight-time Pro Bowler Brian Urlacher (@BUrlacher54).
- CROWD GOES WILD – Joining renown host Regis Philbin when the FOX Sports 1 show premieres on Monday, Aug. 19 are veteran Wall Street Journal sports columnist Jason Gay; professional tennis player turned comedian Michael Kosta; two-time Super Bowl Champion and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trevor Pryce; and Sky Sports host and news anchor Georgie Thompson, along with Guyism.com personality and YouTube sensation Katie Nolan serving as social media correspondent.
- GOLF – FOX Sports and The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced a 12-year, multi-media agreement that makes FOX and FOX Sports 1 the principal domestic media partners of the USGA and the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open Championships, as well as the USGA’s national amateur championships and other live content, beginning in 2015.
- COLLEGE BASKETBALL – As part of a 12-year, multi-platform deal with the Big East, FOX Sports announced a “Super Saturday” doubleheader on the eve of the Super Bowl, featuring matchups between St. John’s & Marquette and Michigan State & Georgetown live from famed Madison Square Garden.
- NASCAR – FOX Sports and NASCAR announced an extension of their multi-media, multi-series agreement, which now runs through 2024, adds three additional NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races to the broadcast lineup, and now includes live coverage of 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
- HORSE RACING – FOX Sports and The Jockey club announced a multi-year deal to air prominent graded stakes races on FOX Sports 1. Offering up to 10 telecasts a year, each telecast includes at least two stakes races with the leading horses in North America.
- UFC – FOX Sports 1 launches Saturday with an unprecedented six hours of Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) programming including the UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN live in prime time from TD Garden in Boston, MA….A new season of the popular reality series THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER premieres Sept. 4 at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
- THE JONES AND MOSELEY SHOW – Hosted by former NFL standout Dhani Jones (Twitter: @DhaniJones) and Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley (@jonnymoseley), THE JONES AND MOSELEY SHOW premieres Aug. 25 at 6:00 PM ET. The affable pair transports viewers to the most exciting finishes and record-breaking performances.
- FOX SPORTS 1-ON-1 – A half-hour program airing on FOX Sports 1, FOX SPORTS 1-ON-1 features FOX Sports personalities interviewing the biggest stars in sports. The first episode pairs two all-time NFL greats and Super Bowl XLII opponents, as Michael Strahan sits down with legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The episode premieres the day of FOX Sports 1’s launch, Aug. 17 at 2:30 PM ET.
- BOXING – Bernard Hopkins and Paulie Malignaggi join Dave Bontempo calling the action during the Aug. 19 debut of Golden Boy Live!, which will air twice a month on FOX Sports 1 and be promoted by Golden Boy Promotions
- SPORTS CAR RACING – FOX Sports and IMSA announced a five-year deal that delivers live coverage of the newly formed United SportsCar Series (formerly existed as two series: Grand-Am & ALMS) on the FOX family of networks.
- FIA FORMULA E – FOX Sports signed a multi-year, international multi-media deal with the FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric car racing series beginning in September 2014.
- MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – After signing a new three-year deal with the premier motorcycle series in the world, all three racing classes were announced as part of FOX Sports 1 launch weekend.
- FOX HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL – This seven-episode series, premiering Aug. 23, delivers live coverage of some of the best high school football teams in the country as they take on cross-state rivals in key Friday night matchups.
- NEW FACES – Julie Stewart-Binks is named host of recently unveiled FOX SOCCER DAILY, a live soccer news, highlights and analysis program premiering Aug. 19 on FOX Sports 1 and airing weekdays at 4 p.m. ET … Gabe Kapler, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder, joins the FOX Sports 1 lineup in 2013 as an MLB analyst for FOX SPORTS LIVE … NHL legend Chris Chelios joins FOX Sports 1 as an NHL and Olympics analyst. He provides expert commentary on the NHL as well as prior to and throughout the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, across all FOX Sports platforms, including FOX Sports 1, FOXSports.com and FOX Sports Radio … Mike Hill, former ESPN anchor, takes on multiple roles, providing news updates and serving as guest host for FOX SPORTS LIVE. Hill also joins FOX FOOTBALL DAILY and will contribute to the network’s college basketball coverage … FOX Sports hired two-time U.S. Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan to cover the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
That’s it
