Comments on: Maybe ESPN Won’t Be Getting More Soccer

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:33:05 +0000

Jarrett: I have my doubts that Fox is doing this for the rugby. Sure, this deal would give Fox the seven biggest union properties — Rugby World Cup, Six Nations, Tri-Nations, Heineken Cup, Guinness Premiership, Magner’s League and Super 14 — but the market for these just isn’t that big in this country. Hell, Invictus is floundering at the box office. Most of these are going to get sold off cheaply to other networks — maybe ESPN360 can build a rugby union section — or shifted to PPV. (IIRC, Six Nations is already PPV.)

And I actually do think Fox could fill a second network with 24/7 soccer. They’ll have at least two confederations’ Champions Leagues (and possibly a third if they start doing those Copa Lib matches on FSE in English) and domestic leagues in England, Italy, Scotland, France, Holland, Russia, Argentina, Australia & the USA. That includes 1st & 2nd division for both England & USA. They also have the Club World Cup, the FA Cup & Carling Cup, the WPS, various FIFA & UEFA youth events, and plenty of college soccer — not to mention the all-important Beach Soccer World Cup. (In HD!) Add in some league-created highlight packages and some Sky Sports News, and it could be done.

By: Jarrett C.

Jarrett C. — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:08:57 +0000

My other thought on this…what if the Plus doesn’t mean “more soccer” but means “more than soccer”. Perhaps they are simply “rebranding” Fox Soccer into Fox Soccer Plus which would allow them to show rugby and gaelic sports content.

By: Jarrett C.

Jarrett C. — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:06:43 +0000

Interesting. Perhaps this will be like the Setanta Xtra channel on DirecTV…dark most of the time but going live when there are multiple live events to simulcast.

Can they really fill a whole other channel with soccer content?

I was thinking that perhaps this was the opportunity for the WWL to launch an ESPN International Channel here in the States.