Fox officially announces creation of 24-hour sports network, Fox Sports 1
The Fox Sports Media Group officially announced at its upfront presentation today that it’s launching a new national sports network called Fox Sports 1. Like OWN before it, the new venture won’t require an entirely new channel; instead, Fox is transforming the existing Speed cable channel into FS1, which will allow the nascent net to be available in over 90 million homes.
FS1 debuts on Aug. 17 and features a schedule stocked with live events — including college basketball, college football, NASCAR, soccer, and UFC — as well as Fox Sports Live news coverage and original programs such as Rush Hour, a panel show hosted by Regis Philbin, and Fox Football Daily, an extension of Fox’s NFL Sunday pregame show hosted by personalities including Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jay Glazer, Gus Johnson, Erin Andrews, and Mike Pereira. The documentary franchise Being will also appear on FS1 this fall, beginning with an episode that takes an in-depth look at Mike Tyson.
“Our ‘secret,’ admittedly a very poorly kept one, is now revealed,” FSMG co-president and COO Eric Shanks said in statement. “Fans are ready for an alternative to the establishment, and our goal for FS1 is to provide the best in-game experience possible, complemented by informative news, entertaining studio shows and provocative original programming.”
In other words: “Hey, ESPN and NBC Sports — game on.”
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