Fox Wins World Cup TV Rights For 2018 and 2022FOX secured the rights to broadcast the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, beating out bids from ESPN and NBC submitted this week in Switzerland. A FIFA official told the Associated Press that FOX won the US English-language rights for 2018 (Russia) and 2022 (Qatar) bidding between $450 million and $500 million. Terms of the deal were not immediately available. A spokesman for FOX Sports said the company would not comment. According to the Washington Post, Telemundo outbid Univision for the Spanish-language broadcast rights to the '18 and '22 World Cup. Univision had paid FIFA $325 million for the 2010-14 rights. Telemundo, owned by NBC, may be paying as high as $600 million for the Spanish rights. More shortly as further information on this story becomes available. [top] |
Euro 2012 - Last Day Of Group QualifyingThe 16-team Euro 2012 tournament for Poland and Ukraine is preparing for its last day of qualifying via group play. So far, seven teams are through to the finals: Poland & Ukraine and group winners Germany (A), Italy (C), Netherlands (E), England (E), Spain (I). On Tuesday, five more teams will qualify – winners of groups B, D, F, H and the best second placed team in the nine groups. The top two teams in Group H and D play each other – Portugal v Denmark and France v Bosnia & Herzegovina, with the home teams likely to advance, as long as they don’t lose. Russia, top of group B look set to advance being home to Andorra, while second place Ireland are at home to Armenia. Finally, Greece top group F by two points but are away to Georgia, while second place Croatia are home to Latvia. Second place in each of the nine groups is important as the best second placed team qualifies automatically, while the other eight second best teams will contest two-legged play-offs, with the winner of each play-off tie qualifying for the finals (4 teams). ESPN has wrapped up the final days qualifiers on TV – on ESPND (Live and on delay), ESPN2 (one live game) and ESPN3 (8 live games at various times). No games on Fox. [top] |
Final Games Coming Up In Euro 2012 Group PlayThe 2012 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 2012) will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012. Euro 2012 will feature 16 national teams – the two host teams and fourteen other teams who will qualify via nine groups (6 groups of 6 teams and three groups of 5 teams). The winners of each of the nine groups, plus the second team with the best record qualify automatically (10 teams). The remaining teams placing second in their respective groups will contest two-legged play-offs, with the winner of each play-off tie qualifying for the finals (4 teams). There are two games left to go in group play, with games to be on played on Friday October 7 and Tuesday October 11. Some games can be seen on ESPND (live and on delay) while many others can be seen live on ESPN3. No games on Fox. Six teams have already qualified: Host nations Poland & Ukraine Group winners (4) – Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Spain Here’s the status of each group. Group A. Germany has qualified. The battle is for second with Turkey (14 points) at home to Germany on Friday, followed by Belgium (12) home to Kazakhstan. Second place will likely be decided on Tuesday. Group B Russia (17) tops the group followed by Ireland (15) and Armenia and Slovakia (both on 14). This group is still wide open with Russia having to visit Slovakia on Friday, while the minnows of Andorra host Ireland. Group C Italy has qualified and the race to be second is between Serbia (14) and Estonia (13), but Serbia could be in the driving seat with a game in hand. Group D France (17) tops Bosnia-Herzegovina (16). The two teams play each other in France on Tuesday, which may be the deciding game as on Friday France is home to Albania wile Bosnia entertains Luxembourg. Group E Netherland has qualified, while Sweden (18 points and a much better goal difference) betters Hungary (18) in the table. Also, Sweden has a game in hand. Group F Group is up for grabs. Croatia (19) visits Greece (18) on Friday. Tuesday Greece is away to Georgia and Croatia is home to Latvia. Group G England (17) have, in reality, already qualified as they have only one game left, a big goal difference, and are six points better off than Montenegro (11), who have two games left, of which one is at home to England on Friday. Group H Another group up for grabs. Portugal (13 points from 6 games), Denmark (also 13 points from 6 games) and Norway (13 points from 7 games) are tied at the top. On Friday, it’s Cyprus v Denmark and Portugal v Iceland. But on Tuesday, it’s Denmark v Portugal in Copenhagen! Group I Spain has already qualified, while the Czech Republic (10) are better placed than Scotland (8) to claim the second spot. [top] |
Man Utd v Chelsea Most Watched EPL Game EverLast Sunday’s first ever taped-delayed Barclays Premier League match on FOX scored big on a combination of FOX Sports Media Group outlets. Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat of Chelsea was the most watched Premiership match ever in the US, with a combined audience of 2,486,000 viewers on FOX Sports, FOX Soccer Channel and FOX Deportes, according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. Sunday’s match on FOX Sports (shown on delay) posted a 1.0 household rating with 1.6 million viewers, a .4 with 456,000 viewers for the live match on FOX Soccer Channel and a 4.2 with 430,000 watching the Spanish-language telecast live on FOX Deportes. The next delayed tape of a Premiership game will be on Sunday October 2 when Fox Sports will show the North London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal from White Hart Lane. Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Deportes will show the game live at 11am ET. The return Chelsea v Manchester Utd fixture from Stamford Bridge on February 5, 2012 (Super Bowl Sunday) will be shown live on Fox Sports. This will be the first ever live Premiership game on the network. With numbers like those above for the game last Sunday, expect more Premiership games on Fox Sports in the future - live and on delay. [top] |
Suggested ViewingIt’s early in the season in Europe so there are fewer major match-ups as there may be once more games have been played. Man Utd v Chelsea dwarfs all other games this weekend. All times ET Saturday September 17 Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal (7.30amESPN2, ESPND, ESPN3) - both teams need all three poits Barcelona v Osasuna (1.55pm ESPND) – how many goals will Barca score? Inter Milan v Roma (2.30pm FSC, FoxD) – Milan need a win a badly or new coach Gasperini could be out, even this early in the season. Monterrey v Cruz Azul (6pm Telemundo) – top Mexican game this weekend Philadelphia v Columbus (MLSDK) – The Union need to keep ahead of Red Bull in the Eastern Conference (see below) Dallas v New York (8.30pm MLSDK, MSG NY) – Red Bull struggling to make playoffs, not won since early July Sunday September 18 PSV v Ajax (6.25am ESPND,ESPN3) – top Dutch game Tottenham v Liverpool (8.25pm Fox+) – both teams need all three points Manchester Utd v Chelsea (10am FSC, FoxD) – are the Blues up to snatching maybe a point? Schalke v Bayern Munich (11.30am Gol) – top Bundesliga game Real Madrid v Levante (2pm Gol) – another hat trick for Cristiano? Napoli v AC Milan (2.30pm FSC, Fox D). Can Napoli maintain the form of last year and be considered one of the top teams in Serie A? [top] |
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