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Fox creating a sports network to compete with ESPN

  • This has been out there for a while, but I was curious what you guys think about this. Personally, I think competition is usually a good thing. I'll certainly give Fox every chance to win my viewership from ESPN, which I've grown pretty tired of in the last few years.

    This post was edited by Thomas Goldkamp on 3/4/2013 at 10:29 PM

    Fox Planning National Sports Network It Hopes Can Challenge ESPN - NYTimes.com

    Fox’s chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, hopes to challenge ESPN for some of the lucrative revenue that the sports media giant has had largely to itself for more than three decades.

    www.nytimes.com

    Staff reporter. Twitter: www.twitter.com/Goldkamp247 | Facebook: www.facebook.com/thomasgoldkampmedia

    Thomas Goldkamp ●

  • Anything has to be better than ESPN. I can't stand what that channel has become.

    Aussie ●

  • I think it's great because ESPN has too much control over.

    This post was edited by Jonas on 3/4/2013 at 11:16 PM

    Jonas ●

  • Fox needs to be firebombed for destroying FuelTV. What was at one time my favorite channel with their coverage of surfing, traveling, skate/snow/moto, and programs like "First hand", got turned into "all UFC, all the time". Just awful. Guess they want to appeal more to the tribal tatted, Mohawk sporting, bedazzled shirt crowd. If they make a sports network, I hope it doesn't go to crap like they did with the once great Fuel...

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    GO GATORS!

    Greater Gator ●

  • I doubt this Fox network will have any real impact on the sports TV landscape. I thought the NBC network had great potential with an impressive lineup of reporters with the Sports Illustrated ties, Mike Florio and some of the other Sunday Night Football contributors, but they get absolutely killed in the ratings, I mean embarrassed.

    Stories like these should worry FOX:
    http://deadspin.com/5972528/nobody-is-watching-nbc-sports-network

    http://outkickthecoverage.com/jim-romes-show-audience-plummets-on-cbs-sports-network.php

    Even if they can win over a big name or two, there's just no cutting into ESPN's audience in this day and age.

    Andrew Olson

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    gatorphi ●

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    DemGators

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    Bullis33

  • Thomas Goldkamp said...

    This has been out there for a while, but I was curious what you guys think about this. Personally, I think competition is usually a good thing. I'll certainly give Fox every chance to win my viewership from ESPN, which I've grown pretty tired of in the last few years.

    100% AGREE. If they can get the content and hosts right, it'll be nice to have a different Flavor. I have wondered for a long time, why another major network doesn't go all in and do this.

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    It's all about the Orange and Blue.

    jjjate79

  • They need to name it something catchy too, or it'll bomb. If it's just FSN or something, they're toast. People have to know that there is something to compete with ESPN, and Fox or whoever has to go all in or they will be demolished. I agree that they need some big TV contracts to make it work, but are there any available? If they could steal the SEC's next big TV contract, that would make a giant difference and get them moving big time! I doubt the SEC would agree though, because ESPN is 40 years ahead of everybody else.

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    It's all about the Orange and Blue.

    jjjate79

  • They should team with the SEC and make one of the channels the SEC Network (on FS1). The SEC probably wouldn't give up the rights to do that though.

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    It's all about the Orange and Blue.

    jjjate79

  • I would love to have a sports channel that didnt talk 85% of the time. I want highlights. The superbowl coverage this year was the icing on the cake. Overblown and just unecessary. I don't even want to get started on the favortism (Yankees, Patriots, Heat etc. etc. etc). If you pull for any small market teams as I do (Reds) then good luck getting any airtime. I'm a Jags fan too and I might see one play on ESPN from the game (usually a score against Jax). Football IMO is the most ridiculous part of ESPN. There has to be so much good tape from a saturday or sunday full of games but instead they would rather have a bunch of guys talk and give their opinions.

    GatorTech

  • GatorTech said...

    I would love to have a sports channel that didnt talk 85% of the time. I want highlights. The superbowl coverage this year was the icing on the cake. Overblown and just unecessary. I don't even want to get started on the favortism (Yankees, Patriots, Heat etc. etc. etc). If you pull for any small market teams as I do (Reds) then good luck getting any airtime. I'm a Jags fan too and I might see one play on ESPN from the game (usually a score against Jax). Football IMO is the most ridiculous part of ESPN. There has to be so much good tape from a saturday or sunday full of games but instead they would rather have a bunch of guys talk and give their opinions.

    This. +1

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    gatorphi ●

  • It would be great if there were a sports channel that could provide a more intelligent and less hype-driven alternative to ESPN. Sadly, I do not think Fox is likely to create a channel like that.

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    Billy the Kid, age 47, 450 victories, 5 SEC Championships, 2 National Championships... and counting!

    Gotham Gator

  • GatorTech said...

    I would love to have a sports channel that didnt talk 85% of the time. I want highlights. The superbowl coverage this year was the icing on the cake. Overblown and just unecessary. I don't even want to get started on the favortism (Yankees, Patriots, Heat etc. etc. etc). If you pull for any small market teams as I do (Reds) then good luck getting any airtime. I'm a Jags fan too and I might see one play on ESPN from the game (usually a score against Jax). Football IMO is the most ridiculous part of ESPN. There has to be so much good tape from a saturday or sunday full of games but instead they would rather have a bunch of guys talk and give their opinions.

    It's not favoritism. It's not becuase joe blow in charge at espn likes the Yankees or Pats; truth be told, most that live and work there are Sox fans (not that they don't get lots of attention). It's about ratings. If the Reds or Jags got ratings, they'd be on more. Fact is, they don't get anywhere near as high ratings as the bigger market teams, and so they get less airtime. Viewing this as favoritism is silly imo, as is hoping that any new network will put aside profit in order to be balanced.

    The reason to be excited about Fox Sports trying to beat Espn is that it means more sports coverage, more options, perhaps some counter perspective and personalities from espn, and even more money if you happen to be in the business of sports. More sports coverage is was interests me, personally.

    jamielawrence

  • If it creates more sports coverage, that would be great, but I fear they will compete on hype and more over the top opinion talk shows

    mbocagator

  • Finally! I can go back to watching sports reporting 247. The only thing good about ESPN is their baseball reporters. ESPN lost me with their relentless, continuous assassination of Tebow. Pre-draft. "No the spread offense can't work in the NFL!" Among personal attacks against Tim. Two years and Cam, RG3 & Kapernick later, it's just attacks against Tebow. But no NFL reporter @ ESPN stepped forward and said, " you know we were wrong about that offense!" Good riddance. Hello Fox!

    TexasGator94

  • jamielawrence said...

    Viewing this as favoritism is silly imo, as is hoping that any new network will put aside profit in order to be balanced.

    They have no true competition. Who are they fighting for ratings? They show the same episode of SportsCenter 10 times in a single day. I know that for example there are far more Yankee fans than Reds fans but when you turn on Baseball Tonight (which happens to be my summertime bedtime story) and the for the first 25 minutes they talk Yankees vs. RedSox and then, Oh and here is a few clips from the other 28 teams who played tonight real quick it gets just a little ridiuclous. When it gets to the point where they would rather talk about Tom Bradys presser than show me highlights they can kiss my ass. F their ratings. Be real to sports, and be real to all sports fans.

    This post was edited by GatorTech on 3/5/2013 at 8:23 AM

    GatorTech

  • Hate everything Fox's news or sport related but anything is better than ESPN at this point.

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    Grantparkgator

  • I have both Fox Sports and ESPN on my XM favs.

    Rarely listen to any ESPN - too many commercials - perhaps a little Van Pelt or Freddy Coleman till the commercials kill me.

    Listen to Fox all the time and they have great personalities and no agenda (ala ESPN).

    Love Petros/Money! Once you get past Petros's obnoxious voice. Also like Jay Mohr. And Lincoln Kennedy.

    Fox Sports definitely needs a fulltime TV Sports channel. They will kick CBS and NBC's ass. Those stations have totally random programming and no "Sports Center" type show.

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    GreenNScaly ●

  • GatorTech said...

    They have no true competition. Who are they fighting for ratings? They show the same episode of SportsCenter 10 times in a single day. I know that for example there are far more Yankee fans than Reds fans but when you turn on Baseball Tonight (which happens to be my summertime bedtime story) and the for the first 25 minutes they talk Yankees vs. RedSox and then, Oh and here is a few clips from the other 28 teams who played tonight real quick it gets just a little ridiuclous. When it gets to the point where they would rather talk about Tom Bradys presser than show me highlights they can kiss my ass. F their ratings. Be real to sports, and be real to all sports fans.

    Way to get all emotional more over TV. We need more of that in America. Perhaps you would like the government to step in on your behalf and regulate their content since they've so wronged you? Would that make you feel better?

    By the way, they spend way more time on the Gators than they do the likes of Maryland. You ever complain about that?

    This post was edited by jamielawrence on 3/5/2013 at 12:09 PM

    jamielawrence

  • jamielawrence said...

    Way to get all emotional more over TV. We need more of that in America. Perhaps you would like the government to step in on your behalf and regulate their content since they've so wronged you? Or maybe your Daddy can go beat them up for you. Would that make you feel better?

    By the way, they spend way more time on the Gators than they do the likes of Maryland. You ever complain about that?

    No need to get personal.

    Staff reporter. Twitter: www.twitter.com/Goldkamp247 | Facebook: www.facebook.com/thomasgoldkampmedia

    Thomas Goldkamp ●

  • GatorTech said...

    I would love to have a sports channel that didnt talk 85% of the time. I want highlights. The superbowl coverage this year was the icing on the cake. Overblown and just unecessary. I don't even want to get started on the favortism (Yankees, Patriots, Heat etc. etc. etc). If you pull for any small market teams as I do (Reds) then good luck getting any airtime. I'm a Jags fan too and I might see one play on ESPN from the game (usually a score against Jax). Football IMO is the most ridiculous part of ESPN. There has to be so much good tape from a saturday or sunday full of games but instead they would rather have a bunch of guys talk and give their opinions.

    Feel your pain on the baseball coverage. On the Braves blog I read, talkingchop.com, the running joke is "Will ESPN even mention it?" any time Kimbrel, Heyward or someone non-Chipper does something highlight worthy.

    Andrew Olson

  • I absolutely hate FOX everything, I would take ESPN's BS all day over FOX...It's senseless reporting and just never seemed to have a clear direction to me but to fit in. ESPN will just break ground on something they've been working on and FOX will get hammered like the rest. ESPN is the Walmart and Coca-Cola of Sports television reporting.

    PoloGator1074

  • The real key in all this is for the competition to sign some deals with the NFL, College football/baskeball, ML baseball, auto racing and get those events on your channel. I bet that if you had the ACC, a few bowl games, signed Nascar and the new Catholic Basketball league (not sure if they will still be the Big East), you could get a real foothold into the sports realm and build from there.

    Fox knows how to compete. They came in the News Arena and kicked CNN and MSNBC to the curb in a few years. Do not doubt the people at Fox, they find a way to give the public what it wants.

    Gatorlicious ●

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