Fox Soccer Plus To Offer Plenty of Soccer and More

Received this press release this morning from Fox Soccer Channel about the programming that the new Fox Soccer Plus will air when it launches on March 1. This will take the place of Setanta Sports which has had financial troubles and will sign off for good on February 28. Some of the programming you’ll see on the new Fox Soccer Plus will be English Premier League games, various European soccer championships and rugby. Here’s the release:

FOX SOCCER PLUS ANNOUNCES KEY PROGRAMMING ACQUISITIONS TO DEBUT WITH MARCH 1 CHANNEL LAUNCH

Additional FA Cup matches, England’s Coca-Cola Championship and Carling Cup, plus top-flight rugby to join previously announced marquee programming on Fox Soccer Plus

Los Angeles (February 18, 2010) – Fox Soccer Plus, a new premium network designed to complement Fox Soccer Channel and complete the ultimate soccer fan experience, has acquired the broadcast rights to several key soccer and rugby competitions in advance of its March 1, 2010 launch. These rights in combination with the previously announced exclusive offerings from the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Italy’s Serie A will provide a robust package of nearly 600 exclusive events on Fox Soccer Plus  annually.

Fueling the passion of international sports fans across the U.S., Fox Soccer Plus will feature new exclusive matches from the FA Cup, England Internationals and the prestigious Carling Cup plus action from the Coca-Cola Championship – the second-highest division in England’s football leagues.  In addition, Fox Soccer Plus will showcase a selection of live and exclusive England Men’s National Team matches annually.

Rugby supporters will be well-served on Fox Soccer Plus by an impressive line-up of matches from England’s Guinness Premiership, the European Heineken Cup and Magners League. Additional exciting rugby competitions exclusive to Fox Soccer Plus will be announced at a later time.

“With these programming acquisitions, Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus become the definitive destinations for the world’s most popular sports,” said David Nathanson, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Fox Soccer Channel. “Fox Soccer Plus presents us with a unique opportunity to expand on Fox Soccer Channel’s core mission, providing U.S. viewers with the best sports competitions worldwide and adds rugby to our impressive lineup of soccer offerings.”

The anticipated number of live and premiere match telecasts per season for the aforementioned leagues and tournaments are as are as follows:

Soccer

Barclays Premier League (Aug.-May) – 130

Carling Cup (Aug.-Feb.) – 15

Coca-Cola Championship (Aug.-May) – 60 

England Men’s National Team (Year-round) – 3 Senior Team, 3 Under-21 Team

FA Cup (Nov.-May) – 24

Serie A (Aug.-May) – 108

UEFA Champions League (Aug.-May) – 70

Rugby

Guinness Premiership (Sept.-May) – 35

Heineken Cup (Oct.-May) – 40

Magners League (Sept.-May) – 80

Fox Soccer Plus will be offered to video providers across the country in high-definition and be available to viewers as a premium service.

I don’t know if DirecTV will be picking it up, but with Setanta Sports going by the wayside, I think the satellite provider would.