We need balance!

[Fur Elise]

The channel is called Fox Sports World NOT Fox Sports England. We need more balance. Believe me, I love the EPL, but we need more Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and sometimes reports on Portugal's and the Scottish league. The goals of the week should cover all Premiere leagues not just the EPL because you can air the games. Please we need more balance and more of an International flavor. I hardly ever see anything on the Mexican League. Come on Fox -- you can do better than that!

[OldFanatic]

http://www.netmba.com/econ/micro/supply-demand/

[texgator]

The channel is called Fox Sports World NOT Fox Sports England. We need more balance. Believe me, I love the EPL, but we need more Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and sometimes reports on Portugal's and the Scottish league. The goals of the week should cover all Premiere leagues not just the EPL because you can air the games. Please we need more balance and more of an International flavor. I hardly ever see anything on the Mexican League. Come on Fox -- you can do better than that!
Well, FSW doesn't own the rights to La Liga or Serie A. Those are broadcast by GolTV, so if you want diversity you should find a way to get access to that channel. They didn't renew their deal with the Eredivisie, and for that I am a bit unhappy with them, but as the previous poster pointed out, business is business and the $$$ just didn't make sense. I have seen many, many goals of the week from Serie A and La Liga.....not to mention South American and Central American leagues. But, yes there is a bit of a favortism towards the ONLY FSW product that makes any money....the English Premiership.

[jstlouis]

The channel is called Fox Sports World NOT Fox Sports England. We need more balance. Believe me, I love the EPL, but we need more Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and sometimes reports on Portugal's and the Scottish league. The goals of the week should cover all Premiere leagues not just the EPL because you can air the games. Please we need more balance and more of an International flavor. I hardly ever see anything on the Mexican League. Come on Fox -- you can do better than that!

FSWR regularly reports on these leagues and has goals of the week from all major leagues and competitions - even women's goals have appeared in GOTW. I take it your complaint is not about our show in particular but perhaps to get your mini-fix, you should tune in.

In truth though - while a percentage of you want more from everywhere BUT England, an even larger percentage are happy with England only - so we're doing our best to balance.

J1

[Lithium858]

Just out of curiousity, why does FSW make more money off of the Premiership than any of the other leagues? It seems like La Liga or the Mexican league would make more money/ratings. I guess it surprises me how popular the English Premiership is.

[SportBoy333]

In truth though - while a percentage of you want more from everywhere BUT England, an even larger percentage are happy with England only


J1

Yeah I call those people lemmings, bandwagon jumpers, glory hounds, trendies, etc. Not everyone wants to go along with the majority. Some people like being the minority(myself included). I honestly dont care that the EPL is the richest and best league in the world. I'd rather be interested in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga because I dont like going along with the majority and I like the underdogs. I like following teams who actually have budgets and dont just splash the cash around to steal any player from any league they want.

[DAGSports]

Just out of curiousity, why does FSW make more money off of the Premiership than any of the other leagues? It seems like La Liga or the Mexican league would make more money/ratings. I guess it surprises me how popular the English Premiership is.
Mexican League on Univision/Telefutura/Galavision? Of course that rates higher, probably comparable to some NBA and MLB telecasts on English-language networks. But FSW used to carry some Mexican League games in English and that did not fare so well...

EPL typically gets under 100,000 viewers. But it is DEFINITELY higher-rated than anything else FSW carries possibly except MLS. It drives subscription sales And it does sell a few ads.

La Liga is generally a niche product. There are many fewer fans in North America of Real Madrid and Barcelona than virtually any Mexican team. But it does help sell subscriptions for Gol TV, plus Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and the Voom Satellite Service in the US pay to sublicense games every week.

[nyrmetros]

Hey Jeremy, question for ya......... any chance you get the tv ratings for the greatest MLS game ever played on FSW? (unfortunately both DC and the Revs were involved :( )

And are MLS ratings satisfactory at this point?

[therealronaldo7]

In truth though - while a percentage of you want more from everywhere BUT England, an even larger percentage are happy with England only - so we're doing our best to balance.

J1
While I do like the Eredivisie and the occasional Bundesliga match, the EPL is what it is all about for me. I do not think the other leagues are bad, but I just prefer the EPL. It seems like there is a thread like this attacking FSW at least once a month. What people do not realize is that we are very lucky to even have a channel dedicated to Soccer here in the states. This is a business, it is not for fun. If a channel is gonna have more viewers and make more money on a league like the EPL, that is what a majority of the matches will be on the channel.
Keep up the good work Jeremy. Most of us appreciate the hard work you and your fellow FSW compatriots do for us soccer fans in the North America.

[Nicodemus145]

HERE HERE!
How I long to see Scottish and Dutch coverage again. Even the odd Real Madrid game that came on once or twice a year I miss. I'm sick of waiting for champions league games to catch teams in Spain and Italy; good thing for us they focus so much on eruopean glory. And what's up with the Bundesliga coverage this year!?! (yeah i know, don't point me to that thread, i'm just sayin').

Of course the EPL is great and definately my fav, but the styles, the look and feel of the game, seem so different from country to country that I would prefer a more diverse line-up to the often dilluted coverage of England.

therealronaldo7: "we are very lucky to even have a channel dedicated to soccer here in the states."
- Nobody is contesting this; FSW is the GREATEST CHANNEL IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION

[Nicodemus145]

La Liga is generally a niche product.

I hail from a crappy town in a know-nothing state, but while I never see english jerseyes on campus or around town, i'm amazed at the number or Real and Barca shirts i see around here, and latin club shirts in general. this ain't a very soccer-friendly town, so if it's big here, it's GOTTA be a potential cash cow.

[DAGSports]

I hail from a crappy town in a know-nothing state, but while I never see english jerseyes on campus or around town, i'm amazed at the number or Real and Barca shirts i see around here, and latin club shirts in general. this ain't a very soccer-friendly town, so if it's big here, it's GOTTA be a potential cash cow.
Los Angeles is the big key here. MILLIONS of people over there are watching Liga Mexicana. La Liga used to air on ESPN and ESPN 2 (even after ESPN 2 became a basic cable channel) and never got better ratings than MLS (no more than about 200,000 viewers). Nothing that doesn't outrate MLS is a major money-making product, unless some of it airs via PPV as EPL does. But La Liga does sell subscriptions for Gol TV.

Also, plenty of people in England wear New York Yankees hats even though they really aren't baseball fans. Wearing soccer shirts may be somewhat fashionable if designed nicely. Doesn't mean everyone who wears one loves soccer.

[kstuart]

I'd rather be interested in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga because I dont like going along with the majority and I like the underdogs. That makes you an "obscurity hound". I have known a few people like that - I used to go to a record store and one of the employees always posted a "ten best of the month" list, and you can bet that no matter how closely you kept up with the new bands, there was no way you were going to have heard of more than one or two on the list. I remember one band that was usually on the list - because all of their albums were out of print! Then they signed a new contract, and started becoming popular and never appeared on his list again. A close friend of mine was an obscurity hound - he made a point of never doing anything that most people did - for example, he did not get a drivers license and didn't drive, he didn't follow any sports teams, and didn't play sports - with the sole exception of ... lacrosse.

In reality, the EPL is the most popular foreign league in the USA because .... they speak English in England (hits forehead).

[Fur Elise]

Football or Soccer is a growing past time. Believe me there is a strong fan base in the waiting in the US. We want to see the best games.

I just wish we could see the best games from Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga on a weekly basis. I just want access. I will be so happy if and when Gol TV comes to Direct TV. I also can't wait til ESPN Deportes and the Champions League come to Direct TV. I don't care what language the games are in Italian, French, Spanish, English - the beautiful game transcends language.

Maybe then we will see Fox Sports World become a little more interested in more balance.

It has gotten better, but there is definitely a lot room for improvement. :)

[Anteaters FC]

Los Angeles is the big key here. MILLIONS of people over there are watching Liga Mexicana.

The LA Times publishes regional sports television ratings each week, and only NFL or Laker games get bigger ratings than a Mexican league match. A Galaxy match will average about a 1 share (so one percent of all television viewers at that time are watching that), while an average Mexican league match will draw about a 5 share. A big match, like Chivas/Club America (the biggest matchup in Mexico) will get around a 9 or 10 share.

[mcpish]

That makes you an "obscurity hound". I have known a few people like that - I used to go to a record store and one of the employees always posted a "ten best of the month" list, and you can bet that no matter how closely you kept up with the new bands, there was no way you were going to have heard of more than one or two on the list. I remember one band that was usually on the list - because all of their albums were out of print! Then they signed a new contract, and started becoming popular and never appeared on his list again. A close friend of mine was an obscurity hound - he made a point of never doing anything that most people did - for example, he did not get a drivers license and didn't drive, he didn't follow any sports teams, and didn't play sports - with the sole exception of ... lacrosse.

In reality, the EPL is the most popular foreign league in the USA because .... they speak English in England (hits forehead).

I think I'm like that to an extent also. I usually like to find cool little niche things that nobody knows about and become fans of them. I'm like that with music too. As far as Fox Sports World is concerned, I guess that's why I sort of started following thier coverage of Australian Rules Football (AFL) for the last couple years. I love walking around my city with a Port Adelaide jersey/jumper on and nobody knowing what the heck it is, most people think it's a basketball jersey ;-) I guess there's just sort of an appeal to finding things that you know are never marketted to you and that you are not bombarded with all the time.

As for soccer, I think I find the EPL too mainstream in that sense. My favorite leagues were the Dutch Eredivisie and French League 1.

[Anteaters FC]

...In reality, the EPL is the most popular foreign league in the USA because .... they speak English in England (hits forehead).

Which explains the booming popularity of the SPL, the Irish Premier League, and the Australian league, right?

While there's truth at the bottom of your point, it overlooks the fact that the most popular English teams have huge marketing advantages over other leagues, its the most widely available European league to watch in the US, etc.

But where you're hugely wrong is your first statement: there is no way that the EPL is the most popular foreign league in the USA. That would have to be the Mexican league. Let's say that the EPL is the most popular foreign league among English speakers in the USA.

[AndyMead]

But where you're hugely wrong is your first statement: there is no way that the EPL is the most popular foreign league in the USA. That would have to be the Mexican league. Let's say that the EPL is the most popular foreign league among English speakers in the USA.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

[Spartak]

Los Angeles is the big key here. MILLIONS of people over there are watching Liga Mexicana. La Liga used to air on ESPN and ESPN 2 (even after ESPN 2 became a basic cable channel) and never got better ratings than MLS (no more than about 200,000 viewers). Nothing that doesn't outrate MLS is a major money-making product, unless some of it airs via PPV as EPL does. But La Liga does sell subscriptions for Gol TV.

Personally I was surprised the 72 hour delayed La Liga matches shown on ESPN2 at 4:00am weren't more of a ratings hit in the US :rolleyes: