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Fox Soccer to be kicked to the curb!

It constantly amazes me that an ordinary TV viewer with a dabbling into the soccer world some years ago (me) could predict a failure of this sort. What the hell are the suits being paid for if not to do their research before launching?

If soccer ever becomes the "fourth" sport in this country it will be decades from now. And even then it is doubtful because professional soccer is about as exciting as golf to the average American. At least a great many Americans have played golf whereas those having played soccer are miniscule in number (although the number is slowly growing).

I spent my professional life in IT and for that I spent years learning my trade. I should have just gone and applied to Fox and could have had a cushy office in the corner and a hefty paycheck and not be held accountable for the worst possible decisions in broadcasting.
 
Will Tom Bergeron be brought back to host "Breakfast Time?" ;D

-crainbebo
 
KTU_Fan said:
I think Fox losing the rights to the MLS and the EPL has alot to do with this aswell
Click to expand...

That's exactly what it is. They don't have much left on that channel with NBC gaining all of the US EPL rights.
 
I love watching Fox Soccer, but its presentation lately and GolTV's both make me feel that BeIn is going to do a much better job with the rights they have, along with NBC and NBCSN getting the EPL rights. Take that away, and Fox Soccer is left with Australia's A-League (MLS-like respect on the world stage), the FA cup (lots and lots of routs), the FIFA Club Cup (limited and generally on a Pro Bowl-respectability level), the Scottish Premier League (just look up the term 'Rangers SPL'...the entire league is a mess) and the Champions League (OK, but an overrated concept).

Most of their analysis shows are outsourced to Winnipeg and Toronto and their commentators doing the matches via screen generally sound uninterested in most of the intricacies of the sport, and I'm dreading Fox's 2018 World Cup coverage. About the only good thing is Sky Sports News because at least it isn't ESPN-style screaming matches and analysis, but they can easily be moved to replace one of the 44 hours of poker or extreme sports the FSN and Fuel networks carry every day when live sports aren't on (another issue to be solved before Fox Sports 1 can be a half-serious competitor to ESPN). I was excited to finally get GOLTV...only to loathe it. It has substandard production values, lousy match choices and the sound is barely audible.

I don't watch Golf Channel much, but NBC and Comcast have done an impressive job with that channel. How Fox hasn't been able to do the same thing with soccer is annoying to me.
 
KTU_Fan said:
I think Fox losing the rights to the MLS and the EPL has alot to do with this aswell
Click to expand...

Absolutely. And I think GOL has the better Latin American leagues sewn up.
 
landtuna said:
It constantly amazes me that an ordinary TV viewer with a dabbling into the soccer world some years ago (me) could predict a failure of this sort. What the hell are the suits being paid for if not to do their research before launching?

If soccer ever becomes the "fourth" sport in this country it will be decades from now. And even then it is doubtful because professional soccer is about as exciting as golf to the average American. At least a great many Americans have played golf whereas those having played soccer are miniscule in number (although the number is slowly growing).

I spent my professional life in IT and for that I spent years learning my trade. I should have just gone and applied to Fox and could have had a cushy office in the corner and a hefty paycheck and not be held accountable for the worst possible decisions in broadcasting.
Click to expand...

Did you even read the article? Fox Soccer is getting revamped because a significant part of its sports rights have been purchased by other media outlets, media outlets who probably outbid Fox on renewing those rights. Given that Fox is openly planning to revamp its U.S. sports networks (using Fox Sports 1/2/3 branding that it uses elsewhere), it's wasn't that hard to see this coming.

I'd keep waiting on that corner office, great soothsayer. ::)
 
Nate Wesley said:
Did you even read the article? Fox Soccer is getting revamped because a significant part of its sports rights have been purchased by other media outlets, media outlets who probably outbid Fox on renewing those rights. Given that Fox is openly planning to revamp its U.S. sports networks (using Fox Sports 1/2/3 branding that it uses elsewhere), it's wasn't that hard to see this coming.

I'd keep waiting on that corner office, great soothsayer. ::)
Click to expand...

Yes, in fact, I did read the article and although I didn't comment on that particular aspect it occurs to me that if soccer was such a marketable sport Fox would have spent whatever was necessary to tie up the rights.
 
They did try to lock up the rights, to both. And were outbid, on both. Its not liek they just let them walk from the table.
 
They show far fewer EPL games on the main channel than NBCSN will. If you wish to see many of the matches involving higher level teams, you have to upgrade to Fox Soccer Plus.

With the NHL once again shooting itself in the skates, the opportunity is here for World Football (I loathe the term Soccer) to slide into fourth place here in the States, and NBCSN will help.

When MLS resumes, check out matches between clubs like Vancouver, Portland , Seattle, San Jose and Los Angeles. Just as many fans and just as much enthusiasm as youll find at Old Trafford.

No, not the same quality, but you have to grow in steps.
 
Studio20 said:
With the NHL once again shooting itself in the skates, the opportunity is here for World Football (I loathe the term Soccer) to slide into fourth place here in the States, and NBCSN will help.
Click to expand...

I'm going to disagree. Although a great many more kids today are playing soccer than a few decades ago, once the players reach mid-teens the game becomes a defensive struggle, just as in the pro's, and becomes dull and boring. People who like fast-paced games like basketball and hockey will never sit still for soccer. Kid soccer will continue to be popular because it is inexpensive and a great participation sport.

Hockey will always have a disadvantage of being expensive (equipment and ice time) and having a significantly fewer number of places to play so it may one day be overtaken as the #4 spectator sport in the USA but until FIFA changes the laws of the game to open it up offensively (and I never expect that to happen) I doubt it will become a major American sport.
 
I can't watch a Portland Timbers match for any length of time without thinking
that "these people are just........weird!"
 
There is one more BIG reason that soccer will never catch on with American TV and that is - it is unfriendly to commercial breaks.

Because the "action" only stops for injury time-outs there are no natural breaks, except halftime, in soccer. Any commercials have to be presented in a multi-screen insert similar to what NASCAR is now doing (although NASCAR can usually count on yellow laps to insert commercials).

Every other televised sport in the USA has changed its rules to satisfy television time outs. I don't see FIFA doing that.
 
stationless listener said:
Rumor is that they're changing the name to "FXX", a sibling to FX.
Click to expand...

I suppose they could call it "FX 2," but then, folks might confuse the network with the sequel to the Sean Connery movie - then again, are any people confusing the original FX network with the original Sean Connery movie?
 
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