Fox Sports 1 may challenge ESPN

Bloomington Pantagraph ^ | 8/17/13 | Jim Benson

[jimbo123]

When ESPN launched in 1979, nobody thought much of it. While there was finally a station for sports-starved fans to counter network television (cable was a dream back then), watching Australian Rules Football wasn’t exactly must-see TV.

Eventually ESPN grew into a daily destination. “SportsCenter” couldn’t be missed, especially when Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann were on their game. College basketball flourished with telecasts from coast to coast. When the NFL and MLB jumped on board, the station really took off.

Over time, many ESPN on-air personalities seem more interested in becoming celebrities than real journalists (can you say Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless?). Luckily there are still guys like Buster Olney, Chris Mortensen and Andy Katz around to provide real news.

While MLB Network, the NFL Network and Golf Channel are good spots for those with specific interest in one sport, ESPN has remained the place to go if you want all-around sports coverage.

But that may be changing.

Fox Sports 1 launches today (taking over for the Speed channel) and should be the first real challenger to ESPN’s dominance.

[cripplecreek]

So far so good. My cable company didn’t have SPEED and I was able to watch the first NASCAR truck race I’ve seen in a while as well as practice and qualifying etc.

[SoCal Pubbie]

ESPN is ruining sports.

[jimbo123]

I’m watching the college football preview show. Not bad at all.

[fhayek]

I think that that is the general idea.

[FlJoePa]

Screw espn into the ground, and then some. Even better it it negatively affects the two radio morons in the morning - the steroid addled dumbschitt from ND and the dainty loser from NW.

[FlingWingFlyer]

One thing about these sports channels, they open up a lot of job opportunities for blonde chicks.

[NormsRevenge]

ESPN is like wallpaper these days,, bland same o same o..

Looks like speed will get blended into the mix,, have to see how they juggle all the stuff on the plate,, from baseball to auto racing to ??

I say, bring back the exercise gals and guys shows.. more jiggle less wiggle

FoX Sports

1

Ooo

[Tupelo]

I know that on their FIRST day they screwed up my weekend. it looks like there will be no MOTO GP this week. Time trials today on tape and no MOTO GP race scheduled at all MOTO 2 and 3 but No GP.
FU Fox Sports 1 and 2 and what ever.

[cripplecreek]

You mean the Yankees Red Sox network?

They carried a Detroit Tigers game last year and showed a camera shot of the Ambassador bridge and called it the Golden Gate bridge. Then they spent the rest of the game talking about the Yankees and Red Sox.

[Gettin Betta]

Here is the transistion from Speed to Fox Sports 1. Kind of a sad day for Motorsports enthusiasts.

http://deadspin.com/speed-is-dead-fox-sports-1-is-alive-and-heres-the-sa-1158620909?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

[JacksonCalhoun]

My belief is Fox will try to out-ESPN ESPN, and when combined with their usual trashy and sensationalistic production values (FOX NEWS ALERT!!!!! anyone?) will make for unwatchable TV. I like my sports and sports highlights relatively snark free, call me old-fashioned, and I might actually watch a little more if I didn’t have to deal with some self-important twit over-dramatizing everything.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Depends how many homosexuals they put on.

[jimbo123]

Erin Andrews is definitely not guilty.

[dfwgator]

All I know is that NBC Sports now has the English Premier League, and it’s awesome...I can watch every game from my computer.

[US Navy Vet]

Pump Zylkon-B Gas into ESPN and then Nuke it from orbit!

[US Navy Vet]

O by the way does any one here know what “ESPN” stands for?

[MinorityRepublican]

Soccer? You might as well as watch the grass grow

[erod]

With ESPN carrying the NFL and the NBA I doubt Fox Sports will be able to make a dent in their ratings. However, the way to kill ESPN would be to make a push for NBC's expiring NHL contract that is coming up soon and then pay through the nose for either the NFL or the NBA when those contracts are up. I hope ESPN goes under, last night I was driving home listening to Outside the Lines and they did a special on Russia, the Olympics and gay rights abuse, I immediately turned off the radio in disgust.

[jimbo123]

Fox Sports 1 seems to be going for the non-homo audience.