It used to be way, way worse a couple years ago when Scottish soccer and some Champions League games were the only thing worth watching. Now with Bundesliga and Copa Libertadores it is a bit more tempting for me (but still not worth it.)
It's because of the FA Cup. Tottenham, who was third in the 2015-2016 Premier League, has their FA Cup on Fox Soccer Plus while Fox Sports 1 shows another FA Cup game and Fox Sports 2 shows Bayern Munich.
I understand that. Although if they want to grow and popularize Bundesliga, they should put it ahead of the FA cup, not the other way around. Sundays games not available on replays either other than FS Plus.
Fox Sports 2 will have three Bundesliga games, not two: Today: Schalke 04 vs. Eintracht Frankfurt at 2:30 P.M. Tomorrow: Werder Bremen vs. Bayern Munich at 9:30 A.M. Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Monchengladbach at 12:30 P.M. If Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 both showed Bundesliga games tomorrow at 9:30 A.M., Chelsea would be on Fox Soccer Plus. Even if Fox makes the Bundesliga more popular, do you think there will be any time within the next ten years that a Bundesliga club other than Bayern Munich would get better TV ratings than Chelsea? Sunday's first two FA Cup on Fox Sports 1 include Watford and three clubs that aren't in the Premier League, but Manchester United plays at 11:00 A.M., which conflicts with both Bundesliga games. Fox Sports 2 is showing an IMSA auto race for 7 hours on Sunday starting at 6:00 A.M. You could argue that Mainz vs. Borussia Dortmund at 11:30 A.M. should get priority over that.
I am not arguing for all bundesliga games to be shown but questioning whether Bundesliga should be relegated behind the FA cup weak games which it obviously is. I understand that Man Utd will get more eyeballs than Dortmund regardless of which team is more watchable now, but the question is should they get more exposure if Bundesliga is your more important product. Take bein espanol for example on weekends. They will run alaves-leganes or similar even when they have PSG and Juventus playing at the same time with only one game live on english channel. I'm arguing that fox should follow the same model but know that they won't.
Not sure BeIN is much better. I mean they didn't even have PSG v Monaco on live, probably the biggest Ligue 1 match in at least 2 years. But of course they have a free (albeit second-rate) streaming service which makes it easier to swallow. I really hate FA Cup weekends now! Not only is it a weekend w/o Premiership football but the Bundesliga's coverage gets shat on in the process. Its a double-whammy for fans that look forward to watching the top UEFA leagues each weekend! Doesn't help either that FOX just shows the big EPL teams' games in the FA Cup, for e.g. showing Chelsea in the 15h00 GMT timeslot last weekend.
But that's not really on FOX, is it? Aren't they restricted to what's made available to the international audience by whoever controls the rights within the UK? Or some such like that.
I suspect you're right. Still... it is what it is: FA cup weekends have a crap menu of games across the networks & leagues compared to other weekends.
The final FA Cup weekend of the season that the Premier League doesn't play on will start Friday February 17. Unusually, the draw did not produce any games between two Premier League clubs. If all the games were available for TV, I would expect Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City to be on Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports 2. Tottenham could be on one of those channels or Fox Soccer Plus. I think Leicester City (if they win their replay), Burnley, and Middlesbrough will be less important to Fox. Hertha BSC vs. Bayern Munich will be the only Bundesliga game between two clubs in the Top 10 that weekend (although the Top 10 could be different then).
Yes, it was a good FA Cup draw. Not only no all-PL ties, but all top PL teams are playing away. So I'm not dreading the next FA Cup weekend so much.
Fox Sports 1 has NASCAR Saturday at 8:00 P.M. that weekend, so that won't conflict with soccer. I don't know if there is another type of car race they will show that weekend.
This article sounds like it was written by someone around here: http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation....usa-tv-rights-2018-2021-turner-bid-fox-sports
.@AlexiLalas was not having their Champions League broadcast being called "dumb downed" #USSonSXM @davisjsn https://t.co/LrHkDFFTIH— SiriusXM FC (@SiriusXMFC) February 27, 2017
lol It could get worse but not much worse. Although I would've preferred Turner to go for the FA Cup or Bundesliga if they were going to go after one of Fox's soccer properties.
I am here live with Charles Barkley and Ron Darling filling out my brackets for for the Group Stage of the Champions League. Ron picked Zenit to defeat Barca on the first match day.
It is called a hypothetical game of random teams in the future (Turner's coverage starts in 2018). A concept that should not be that difficult to understand.
New from me: A chat with Fox soccer executive producer @jdneal78 about the network's SheBelieves Cup coverage plans https://t.co/kjSOz7tFIi— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) March 1, 2017
Minnesota United and Atlanta United make MLS debuts on FS1 and FOX Deportes https://t.co/HJJUCEVGr6— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) March 1, 2017 FOX Sports begins its coverage of the 2017 Major League Soccer season with the league’s two new franchises, Minnesota United and Atlanta United, both making their MLS debuts on FS1 and FOX Deportes. Coverage begins Friday, March 3 when the 2015 MLS Cup Champion Portland Timbers host Western Conference newcomers Minnesota United. Rob Stone hosts FS1’s first-ever Friday night MLS pre-match show LIVE from a field-level set at Portland’s Providence Park beginning at 9:30 pm ET. John Strong (Play-By-Play) and Alexi Lalas (Analyst) call the match in English on FS1 with Katie Witham serving as FOX Sports’ new MLS side-line reporter. Friday’s coverage includes an exclusive interview with MLS Commissioner Don Garber. On FOX Deportes, coverage kicks off at 9:00 pm ET with a special edition of Fox Deportes En Vino. John Laguna (Play-By-Play) and Mariano Trujillo (Analyst) have the call in Spanish on Fox Deportes with Jaime Motta reporting from the side-line. Action continues two days later when Eastern Conference newcomers Atlanta United host the reigning Eastern Conference Regular-Season Champion New York Red Bulls on Sunday, March 5 at 7:00 pm ET on FS1 and FOX Deportes. Strong (Play-By-Play) and Lalas (Analyst) are on the call in the English on FS1 with Witham reporting from the side-line. Laguna (Play-By-Play) and Trujillo (Analyst) are on the call in Spanish on Fox Deportes with Motta reporting from the side-line. Rest Of The Press Release - http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/...d-atlanta-united-make-mls-debuts-on-fs1-and-f
837726818270531584 is not a valid tweet id It's back! It's back! #MLSisBack!Tune in to @FS1 now for the 2017 season opener, #PORvMIN pic.twitter.com/YvVprnHzKk— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 4, 2017