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Media & Entertainment Law

: Sports Biz

Fox Soccer Channel Snags Champions League from ESPN

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So, it doesn't look like ESPN is quite as committed to soccer as a foundation programming as it was a couple of years ago. Earlier this year, it announced that the MLS game of the week was no longer going to have a fixed time slot on Thursday night but was going to float through the week. Now, it has been outbid for the UEFA Champions League by Fox, an outcome once deemed unthinkable in Bristol. With the loss of the Champions League, ESPN now has no major international soccer product other than games of the US National Team.

Fox, with the rights to Copa Libertadores and the CONCACAF Champions League now has the rights to the three major continental club championships. With its rights to the English Premier League, it has clearly become the channel of choice for soccer fans in the US. The only thing it needs now is High Definition and a bit more carriage. It is still limited in the number of cable systems that are carrying it, especially when compared with ESPN and ESPN2. Fox clearly intends to be the network of soccer in the US. The question is does ESPN even care to fight back? The other question is when will Fox respect its viewers enough to spend the money necessary to start broadcasting in HD, which the games so richly deserve?

Finally, congratulations to the US National Team for a stirring 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in Nashville tonight. It was particularly good to see them come back and play spirited and inspired soccer after a relatively dispirited game in which they were lucky to get a draw against El Salvador on Saturday in San Salvador. Congratulations are also due Jozy Altidore who justified Coach Bob Bradley's decision to start him tonight by scoring his first international hat trick, with all three goals coming on assists from Landon Donovan playing a relatively unfamiliar left mid.

Full post as published by Sports Biz on April 01, 2009 (boomark / email).