Comments on: What Fox Needs To Do To Ace Its Champions League Coverage

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:01:25 +0000

Doesn’t Rupert Murdoch own Fox AND Sky? Seems like a logical fit if that’s true. They will use the international feed, at least at first. That’s how they do the Prem. GolTV blows BTW. I don’t speak spanish so half the commercials and graphics are wasted on me. Though the chicks on the info-mercials can be hot compared to the American “women”

By: Sasuke

Sasuke — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:26:37 +0000

Ray Hudson 03.31.09 at 1:33 am

I have it on good information that if I’m hired as commentator, nobody will watch

Hey Ray I could care less what anyone one else thinks I would prefer you and Phil Schoen to commentate on any match i watch …..especially Barca’s
all you hater’s go to hell

By: mike

mike — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:49:03 +0000

agreed with most all of your points except Fox adding Ray Hudson and Phil Schoen. They are terrible commentators. Hudson is ridiculous and incapable of objective analysis, while some might find him “fun,” to me he is extremely annoying. Derek Rae is amazing, best announcer they could possibly get. Healy is decent as well. Schoen is a joke.

By: LJ

LJ — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:21:57 +0000

Sky airs every champions league game live via their interactive menu where you choose the game you want to watch, with the exception of 2 games on a tuesday which ITV get to broadcast. So they obviously have commentators at every decent match as do ITV for highlights shows etc.

By: ossie's dream

ossie's dream — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:08:15 +0000

FSC won’t use Sky commentators because Sky doesn’t air the Champions League in the UK. ITV does.

By: Juan-John

Juan-John — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:34:48 +0000

Posted this on a different thread, but it probably belongs here:

The problem for ESPN in losing the Champions League right now is that it comes at an awful time: right before the switchover to a SATURDAY date for the final. That fact ALONE will most likely help increase viewership in the Western Hemisphere beyond anyone’s expectations, and if Fox is smart, they’ll air that game on the REGULAR Fox local over-the-air affiliate channels (Channel 5 in the Washington, DC area) for more exposure.

By: The Gaffer

The Gaffer — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:57:20 +0000

TWI, yes.

Cheers,
The Gaffer

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:42:02 +0000

FSC doesn’t use Sky announcers, FSC uses the announcers for the international feed (or whatever it’s called).

By: James

James — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:54:17 +0000

What caliculer said.

In particular: “FSC, being a dedicated footy channel, could do in English what ESPN Deportes has been doing in Spanish for a few years, which is to show consecutive delayed matches all day each matchday.”

As for HD: the games aren’t broadcast by ESPN in HD anyway.

By: GC345

GC345 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:24:26 +0000

I wish this site had a way to rate comments…this one would skyrocket to the top:

Ray Hudson 03.31.09 at 1:33 am
I have it on good information that if I’m hired as commentator, nobody will watch

I don’t like the idea that the bulk of soccer is moving to specialty cable channels. I already pay enough for the privilege of sifting through commercials, when I pay $5 – $15 a month for one channel the amount of commercials needs to be reduced. I also agree that not having an HD feed is one of the reasons I don’t have FSC. Their channel looks like crap on a large screen.