New Soccer Programming on ESPN and Fox Sports 1

There was some discussion the other day about what the soccer news landscape would look like once FOX Soccer goes away. So when I came across this article I thought I'd share.


The halcyon days for world soccer fans have arrived, with both ESPN and Fox Sports 1 debuting daily soccer shows next month, in addition to NBC's mega-coverage of the English Premier League. (I'll have plenty of stuff on NBC and the EPL come August.) "ESPN FC on TV" debuts Aug. 11 and will air Sunday through Friday on ESPN2. (Note: The show will air at 5:30 p.m. from Monday-Friday and at midnight on Sunday). The 30-minute news and highlights show will focus primarily on the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Spain's La Liga, Major League Soccer, the U.S. men's national team and the Mexican national team. Given ESPN's commitment to soccer, I have very high hopes for a quality show.

The hosts for "ESPN FC on TV" include SportsCenter anchor Max Bretos and Dan Thomas (who has fronted "ESPN FC Press Pass" in the U.K. for the past two years). There will be five regular analysts for the show, and you can expect those names to be announced this week. Bretos worked for Fox Soccer Channel prior to his ESPN tenure, and his passion for soccer was clearly evident, even when his over-the-top style became annoying. On Saturday, I asked Steve Palese, the coordinating producer for "ESPN FC on TV," to answer a couple of questions for soccer viewers. How would Palese describe the editorial philosophy of "ESPN FC on TV?" "Editorially, the show will be an extension of ESPNFC.com," Palese wrote in an email. "The Sunday show will be more highlight driven, but every day, ESPN FC will offer analysis, discussion and reporting on the top stories in the sport. The show will have a global feel while also offering extensive coverage of the U.S. national team and MLS."

Asked why soccer viewers should invest their time with "ESPN FC on TV," Palese said, "The quality and variety of talent available and the variety of topics that will be covered on a daily basis will make the show informative and enjoyable to soccer fans in the United States. One of the great things about ESPN FC is that if we run out of time on a particular topic, we can always continue the conversation on ESPNFC.com after the show. The reverse will also be true. If there is an article or video analysis piece that is creating a lot of discussion from fans on the site, we will carry that discussion over to the show."

"Fox Soccer Daily" debuts on Fox Sports 1 on Aug. 19 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The live half-hour show -- originating from Los Angeles weekdays -- will feature soccer news, highlights and analysis. The show will cover the major soccer leagues and competitions across the globe with an emphasis on Europe and North America. When contacted by SI.com on Sunday on behalf of soccer fans everywhere, Fox Sports turned down the opportunity to expand on what viewers can expect editorially from the show. They also did not make an executive available. "We think we'll offer soccer fans a terrific, comprehensive show, but since 'Fox Soccer Daily' received a green light a few days ago, there is still much detail to be worked out over the next month," a spokesperson said. "We're starting the process a little late, but we'll be ready to go on August 19."



Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130721/mccarver-espn-screws-outside-the-lines/#ixzz2Zmfalm7H

I did a little research trying to figure out what to cut and what to keep on my Directv.... Here is what I came up with as far as which channels will be showing what...

Fox Sports 1 = UEFA Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and CONCACAF games . The new channel will also air FIFA World Cup games starting in 2015

beIN = La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 matches. US national team qualifiers outside of the US

NBC Sports Network - English Premier League. 154 games on NBC Sports Network, 22 games on other NBC Universal channels and 20 games on NBC. There will be 184 games airing on Premier League Extra Time (online streaming) and 76 Spanish-language broadcasts on Telemundo (10) and Mun2 (66). There are plans to air more than 600 hours of original and weekly studio programming on the NBC Sports Network. NBC said it will air 30 hours of original Premier League programming weekly. “The network said games not aired on a designated NBC Universal channel would be made available to distributors via Premier League Extra Time, a package of overflow TV channels available at no extra cost for customers who receives NBC Sports Network

GolTV – Bundesliga and I think Brazilian league.
There was speculation last summer that beIN Sport USA might try to purchase GolTV. That may be the best hope for fans who hunger for more soccer made in Germany. For the vast majority of American TV viewers, the Bundesliga is a rumor. The league’s U.S. rights are owned through the 2014-15 season by GolTV, which remains available locally on Time Warner but has disappeared from many cable and satellite systems.

I hate that EPL is moving to NBC Sports Network. I can't help but wonder where they'll squeeze in 30 hours of weekly programming around all the other stuff they have rights to. On a single channel no less.

I have little faith in them since they FUBAR'd the Olympics broadcast last summer.

I am a bit nervous as well... there was something pretty dang sweet about having Fox Soccer, beIN and Fox Soccer Plus right in a row on my directv... only had to jump dopwn to ESPN2 to make sure I got everything...

now I feel like I will be sorting through 10 channels and possible streaming to see everything...

oh well, there are certainly worse problems to have. .... I could be a cricket fan.

Where is Warren Barton going?

txtransplant wrote:I hate that EPL is moving to NBC Sports Network. I can't help but wonder where they'll squeeze in 30 hours of weekly programming around all the other stuff they have rights to. On a single channel no less.

I have little faith in them since they FUBAR'd the Olympics broadcast last summer.

At least Fox's Gus Johnson doesn't work for NBC.  His call of the USMNT quarterfinal yesterday was horrific!  He needs to stay away from soccer altogether and stick with the NFL.

I have to wonder with all these 1/2 hour shows...how much content can you really cover in about 20 minutes. Gotta pack in at least 10 minutes of advertising in that 30 minute segment.

My assessment...as with most things when they reach critical mass, you get lot's of players in the mix. Then as time goes by, the market sorts out the incompetent and we'll wind up with 1 or 2 primary networks for the coverage.

In the mean time maybe we could get the site Admin to create TXSOCCER.TV. He could DVR the content we need, do some video editing and post to the new site...all sans commercials. Of course he'd have to quite his day job  

There's not a live game in the world (including Transylvanian D3 - similar to Arlington D3 but with more sucking) that you can't stream live through Justin.tv or through other services on the interwebs. I normally stream it through the Justin.tv app and use an hdmi adapter from the iPad to the big tv.

the7wolf wrote:There's not a live game in the world (including Transylvanian D3 - similar to Arlington D3 but with more sucking) that you can't stream live through Justin.tv or through other services on the interwebs. I normally stream it through the Justin.tv app and use an hdmi adapter from the iPad to the big tv.

Meow.

http://www.justin.tv/cockadoodlecam#/w/6282203520/7

boy I fell for that....

then became hypnotized by the critters...

Me too. Wondering what the chickens were gonna do next!

Just an update on this subject...

NBC Sports is running some great shows right now to get everyone ready and promote the upcoming EPL season. I assume they will run pretty frequently leading up to the season. While they are definitely "a guide to the EPL for Americans"... they make it fun while not insulting the intelligence of the American fans that have followed the game for a long time.
They introduce each premier league team and some trivia about each. I loved it... well worth watching.

They are called "Premier League Countdown" – A preview of the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. With the help of a number of high-profile celebrity supporters, comedians and journalists, Premier League Download will explore what it is thatís so intensely loved ñ and loathed ñ about Englandís topflight league. Long-time supporters will enjoy the lively commentary, while new fans will learn the language of the only league that matters.

Someone was also asking about the regular season weekly shows they will have.. Here is the list from the NBC Sports website. ( The "Premier League 36" show sounds cool)


Premier League Live – Pre and post-match studio show on match days

Premier League Goal Zone – A 30-minute program airing after the matches on Sunday with highlights of all the goals scored on Saturday and Sunday.

Game Cut-Downs – On Monday nights, NBCSN will present a two-hour show featuring cut-down versions of the Manchester United and Manchester City matches. On Tuesdays, a two-hour program will feature the Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham matches.

Match of the Day – A two-hour show featuring extended highlights with the natural calls of every game on Saturday. This show is modeled after the highly-regarded BBC show of the same name. Match of the Day will re-air on Sunday mornings.

Match of the Day 2 – A 90-minute show featuring extended highlights with the natural calls of every game on Sunday.

Match of the Week – On Sunday nights, NBCSN will re-air the best match of the weekend in its entirety.

Barclays Premier League World – A weekly magazine show produced by Premier League. Will air on NBCSN from 7-7:30pm ET on Thursdays throughout the season.

Barclays Premier League Preview – A weekly show produced by Premier League that will air on NBCSN from 7-7:30pm ET on Fridays throughout the season.

Premier League 36 – NBC Sports Networkís acclaimed 36 series that follows athletes for the 36 hours leading up to a game/match/race comes to the Premier League.

It appears now that even though a bunch of the major carriers ( Directv, Dish, Time Warner etc.) have not finished negotiations to carry Fox Sports 1, they are going to allow it to run for now in place of the Speed Channel as previously planned. So if you have Speed, it will become FOX Sports 1 on Saturday, and we will all get it while the carriers and FOX work things out.

Here is a great link for NBC Sports that gives their schedule of EPL matches for the week. You plug in your zip code and then cable provider and it generates the schedule.
http://www.nbcsports.com/extratime

I also downloaded the free "NBC Sports Live Extra" app for my phone, which streams all the matches live. Worked great and dang the picture was sweet! jumped back and forth between 3 matches while hanging at the fields.... love it.