Fox Soccer Channel Press Release

[Eddie26]

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Veronica Alvarez 310.286.6329

Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Kelsey Martinez 310.286.6331



FOX SOCCER CHANNEL DEBUTS AT MIDNIGHT ON FEBRUARY 7

Top TV Soccer Destination to Offer New Youth Programming in Addition to
Exclusive U.S. and International Event Coverage



Los Angeles, CA - Fox Sports World, America's Soccer Channel, will
transition into the Fox Soccer Channel on Monday, February 7, 2005. The
announcement was made today by David Sternberg, Executive Vice President and
General Manager of Fox Soccer Channel.

Fox Soccer Channel will draw more than 80% of its first-run programming
hours from world-class soccer competitions, including the Barclays English
Premier League, the English FA Cup, the UEFA Cup, the Toyota
Intercontinental Cup, World Cup qualifying matches for the United States and
England national teams, the ChampionsWorld Series, and numerous European and
Latin American national leagues. Domestic action on the network will
feature America's top professional league, Major League Soccer, as well as
matches from the United Soccer Leagues.

"Soccer has long been the world's game and now it is increasingly America's
game as well," said Sternberg. "Participation rates and attendance at soccer
matches, including MLS games and international exhibitions, have grown
dramatically in the past decade, and the United States national teams have
excelled in both the men's and women's FIFA World Cups. We at Fox are
committed to creating the single best place for American soccer fans,
players, professional and amateur associations and business partners to
converge and share in the phenomenal success of the sport."

Corporate sibling FOX Sports will provide viewers an exclusive first look at
the channel during the Super Bowl XXXIX Pre-Game Show, set for Sunday,
February 6 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Following the Super Bowl, at midnight on Monday,
February 7, Fox Soccer Channel will officially unveil all-new on-air
broadcast graphics, music and promotional messages, complemented by an
extensive consumer marketing campaign in support of the transition. The
first week's programming schedule will be highlighted by a live telecast of
the international friendly between England and Holland on Wednesday,
February 9, at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time, and a full weekend slate of seven
matches from the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, the French
Ligue 1 and the Argentine Torneo de Clausura.

In connection with the transition, Fox Soccer Channel will introduce several
new programs and features, including a soccer scores ticker and a new weekly
show debuting in April called Fox Soccer USA, focusing on the youth and
amateur soccer scene in the United States. Fox Soccer Channel will also
continue airing its current lineup of news and highlight programs, such as
the

nightly Fox Sports World Report, Sky Sports News, Fox Football Friday and
MLS Wrap. Other global sports related to or derived from soccer, like futsal
(indoor soccer) and rugby will likewise remain part of the network's
programming mix.

Fox Soccer Channel will also transition its Web site into Fox Soccer Channel
on MSN, accessible at <http://www.foxsoccer.com> www.foxsoccer.com. The
network's site is the already the most popular on-line destination for
English-speaking soccer fans in the United States. The site delivers
comprehensive, up-to-the-minute coverage of world soccer, including
exclusive weekly columns by Fox Soccer Channel on-air talents Bobby McMahon,
Nick Webster and Sean Wheelock. The site also links Fox Soccer Channel
programming directly to viewers with such interactive features as the Fox
Sports World Report viewer mailbag and an English Premier League fantasy
game.

Originally launched in 1997, Fox Soccer Channel boasts close to 20 million
cable and satellite subscribers throughout the U.S. and Caribbean, and is
available in each of the nation's 25 largest media markets. Key
distributors include DIRECTV, DISH Network, Comcast Corp., Time Warner
Cable, Charter Communications, Cox Communications and Adelphia
Communications, among others.

Fox Soccer Channel is affiliated with Fox Sports International, an
international sports programming and production entity housed within Fox
Networks Group. Fox Networks Group, an operating unit of the Fox
Entertainment Group, consists of the FOX Broadcasting Company, Fox Cable
Networks, FOX Sports and Fox Networks Engineering & Operations (FNE&O). Fox
Cable Networks are collectively seen by more than 335 million cable and
satellite television homes and include Fox Soccer Channel, FX, FSN and its
12 owned-and-operated regional sports networks; Fox College Sports; National
Geographic Channel; SPEED Channel; Fox Sports en Espanol; Fox Movie Channel;
action sports network FUEL and the upcoming Fox Reality Channel. For more
information, visit Fox Soccer Channel online at <http://www.foxsoccer.com>
www.foxsoccer.com.



- Fox Soccer Channel -

[Eddie26]

Somehights for me were:
1) US WC Qualifiers
2) England WC Qualifiers (no more PPV!!??)
3) UEFA Cup (Used to GolTV I think)
4) Rugby NOT going away!
5) 80% original programming...only 20% Paid Programming for StarKick!

[Jasonisimo]

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Veronica Alvarez 310.286.6329

Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Kelsey Martinez 310.286.6331



FOX SOCCER CHANNEL DEBUTS AT MIDNIGHT ON FEBRUARY 7...

Following the Super Bowl, at midnight on Monday, February 7, Fox Soccer Channel will officially unveil all-new on-air broadcast graphics, music and promotional messages, ...

- Fox Soccer Channel -NO!...

I loved that theme.

*tear*

[Carson Galaxy]

Somehights for me were:

5) 80% original programming...only 20% Paid Programming for StarKick!

Connor will continue to get his royalties and go to college!!!!

[Stephen1164]

This is too sweet!!!!! No need for the 100 others channels I have now!!!

[Bluto11]

Connor will continue to get his royalties and go to college!!!!
and how will we know if the entire population of Green Bay has RE-ordered Cortislim?

[MasterShake29]

Somehights for me were:
1) US WC Qualifiers
2) England WC Qualifiers (no more PPV!!??)
3) UEFA Cup (Used to GolTV I think)
4) Rugby NOT going away!
5) 80% original programming...only 20% Paid Programming for StarKick!Sorry to rain on the parade, I don't think this is anything new. FSW has shown U.S. games in the past that ESPN hasn't picked up, so this should continue. Last summer FSW signed a deal with England to give them rights to England home games, but they can still choose to put them on PPV (most likely that the weekend games are on PPV, while FSW gets the weekday ones).

FSC has rights to the UEFA Cup final, not sure what they'll show before that. Through the semifinals, rights are controlled by individual teams (through their marketing agencies), so both FSW and GolTV could air games.

[luvdagame]

This is too sweet!!!!! No need for the 100 others channels I have now!!!

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Joel Goodson]

and how will we know if the entire population of Green Bay has RE-ordered Cortislim?

Not to mention Chicagoans and the Italian Sausage eating Bears fans :p

[Bluto11]

Not to mention Chicagoans and the Italian Sausage eating Bears fans :p
Polish sausage, bears, ditka, sausage, bears, ditka, ditka, ditka

[Carson Galaxy]

Sorry to rain on the parade, I don't think this is anything new. FSW has shown U.S. games in the past that ESPN hasn't picked up, so this should continue. Last summer FSW signed a deal with England to give them rights to England home games, but they can still choose to put them on PPV (most likely that the weekend games are on PPV, while FSW gets the weekday ones).

FSC has rights to the UEFA Cup final, not sure what they'll show before that. Through the semifinals, rights are controlled by individual teams (through their marketing agencies), so both FSW and GolTV could air games.

In a nut shell….yeah, you’re right. It looks purely cosmetic. Maybe they might add some things in the future. But hey, any pub is good pub and if it gets a moment during the Superbowl, that can’t be a bad thing.

[Lowecifer]

Well, I recently ordered Dish Network, so this is just icing on the cake. Is this a different channel than Fox Sports World, or simply a rebranding?

Oops, nevermind.

[Eddie26]

In a nut shell….yeah, you’re right. It looks purely cosmetic. Maybe they might add some things in the future. But hey, any pub is good pub and if it gets a moment during the Superbowl, that can’t be a bad thing.

I agree. It sounds like a rebranding.

The thing I am most excited about is them tying all of this into the Super Bowl, that shows me that they have big plans for it. (For the non-American), Super Bowl ads, for a 1 minute spot, run at the minimum of a million dollars (approx 2 mil GBP). I don't think they would give up that kind of money from a prospective advertiser for something they didn't think would be worthwhile.

[sanariot]

I agree. It sounds like a rebranding.

The thing I am most excited about is them tying all of this into the Super Bowl, that shows me that they have big plans for it. (For the non-American), Super Bowl ads, for a 1 minute spot, run at the minimum of a million dollars (approx 2 mil GBP). I don't think they would give up that kind of money from a prospective advertiser for something they didn't think would be worthwhile.

The ad is actually supposed to run during the Super Bowl pre-game show, when the ad rates are much lower than during the actual game. Still, a sizeable chunk of change to be sure.

[Carson Galaxy]

The ad is actually supposed to run during the Super Bowl pre-game show, when the ad rates are much lower than during the actual game. Still, a sizeable chunk of change to be sure.

Is it even an "ad". Seems like just a FOX filler infomercial during the marathon length pre-game show....something like Bradshaw telling H. Long that FSC is coming...it would be interesting to see how this is presented and how much time is being given to promote it.

[antifan]

Is there any chance this means the end of Fox's Canadian Cable Access daily highlight show? I hope so. Does the new name mean that Murdoch might actually spend a few bucks for a decent PAL-NTSC converter? Oh, wish. Maybe some games or highlight packages from Spain or Italy? Probably too much to ask. I am looking foward to the same low budget FSW, but this time with new commercials. And yes, Chelsea fans, i am, in fact, Trolling. ;)

[Eddie26]

Is it even an "ad". Seems like just a FOX filler infomercial during the marathon length pre-game show....something like Bradshaw telling H. Long that FSC is coming...it would be interesting to see how this is presented and how much time is being given to promote it.

Still money that's not coming from a prospective advert. Pregame or no pregame, it shows so commitment.

[Eddie26]

Is there any chance this means the end of Fox's Canadian Cable Access daily highlight show? I hope so. Does the new name mean that Murdoch might actually spend a few bucks for a decent PAL-NTSC converter? Oh, wish. Maybe some games or highlight packages from Spain or Italy? Probably too much to ask. I am looking foward to the same low budget FSW, but this time with new commercials. And yes, Chelsea fans, i am, in fact, Trolling. ;)

You're no troll my friend!

I hope they get rid of that horrible Canadien highlights show. But keep that Michelle Lissel girl, she's hot in that librarian sort of way. Plus she's a Chelsea fan!

I don't know if they can show Spanish or Italian highlights. I think/thought GolTV had exclusive rights to those. I could be totally wrong though. I wish they would pick up the Eredivisie again though.

[antifan]

You're no troll my friend!

I hope they get rid of that horrible Canadien highlights show. But keep that Michelle Lissel girl, she's hot in that librarian sort of way. Plus she's a Chelsea fan!

I don't know if they can show Spanish or Italian highlights. I think/thought GolTV had exclusive rights to those. I could be totally wrong though. I wish they would pick up the Eredivisie again though.
Seriously, that highlight show is the worst. It looks like it was filmed in my basement with a 1981 Sony Betacam, and not a good one either. I've seen better production values on local TV high school football games, and i'm not joking. The on air "talent" is just embarassing, even the girl, although i guess she's decent for a sportscaster. The weird looking goatee guy i can't even watch, and the obligatory Scottish? analyst is awful, i cant even watch the show unless i absolutely need to see the highlights. I'm pretty sure you're right about GolTV, but Murdoch can always open the wallet and buy more rights packages in the future. But i doubt he will though, he is such a cheap bastard.

[Jasonisimo]

I agree. It sounds like a rebranding.

The thing I am most excited about is them tying all of this into the Super Bowl, that shows me that they have big plans for it. (For the non-American), Super Bowl ads, for a 1 minute spot, run at the minimum of a million dollars (approx 2 mil GBP). I don't think they would give up that kind of money from a prospective advertiser for something they didn't think would be worthwhile.Um, you've got your conversion upside down. And superbowl advertising has been getting less effective per dollar spent these last few years.

That's not to say they aren't treating it as a big deal. I just wouldn't read too much into this.

It seems to me like the Superbowl is simply the nearest big sporting event likely to attract a wide audience. Had this transition fallen during Autumn, the World Series would have had a few spots promoting the new channel but then you wouldn't have said, "Hey, look at the money Fox gave up to promote FSC. They must have big plans for it."