I found this release from Fox Sports announcing the start of its UEFA Champions League coverage next week. Games will be shared among Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports en Espanol. Check out the release:
Unprecedented UEFA Champions League Coverage on Fox-Affiliated Networks Begins August 18 Playoff Round Match Telecasts and Studio Show Hosts Announced
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Beginning next Tuesday, August 18, coverage of the UEFA Champions League premieres on the Fox family of television networks, including Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Net (FSN) and Fox Sports en Español, providing an unprecedented level of live and prime-time coverage for the competition in the United States.
The world’s most prestigious club soccer tournament debuts on Fox with the Playoff Round, where 20 teams will battle over two legs to qualify for the 32-team UEFA Champions League Group Stage; see below for the Playoff Round live telecast schedule. UEFA Champions League match coverage on FSN will be available in high-definition, while HD feeds of the competition on Fox Soccer Channel will launch in February 2010 with the Round of 16.
Setting the table for match coverage, Fox Soccer Channel and FSN will simulcast UEFA Champions League Pregame, a live 30-minute studio program each Tuesday match day at 2 p.m. ET (Fox Soccer Channel only on Wednesdays). Meanwhile, UEFA Champions League Highlights will follow each match day at midnight (12 a.m. ET) on Fox Soccer Channel to recap all the day’s action.
Both of these 30-minute programs will be hosted by veteran FSC commentators Max Bretos, Warren Barton and Bobby McMahon. Bretos is Fox Soccer Channel’s lead play-by-play announcer, while Barton played in the 1997/98 UEFA Champions League as a defender with Newcastle United and currently serves as an analyst on Fox Soccer Match Day and Super Sunday +. As the lead analyst on FSC’s nightly soccer news program, Fox Soccer Report, since 2001, McMahon is regarded as one of North America’s most trusted sources for insight into the “Beautiful Game.”
“The breadth and depth of UEFA Champions League coverage available through Fox provides an unprecedented opportunity for soccer fans to immerse themselves in this prestigious competition,” said Dermot McQuarrie, senior vice president of Programming and Production for Fox Sports International. “With more match telecasts than ever before – coupled with supplemental pre-game and highlight shows – we are confident that viewers will relish this expanded access to the UEFA Champions League.”
Commentary for all UEFA Champions League matches on Fox Soccer Channel and FSN will be provided by European-based announcing teams. All live matches will kick off at 2:45 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the course of the season, with the exception of select contests originating in the Eastern European Time Zone which will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Fans seeking even more coverage of Europe’s biggest annual tournament will be able to tune into UEFA Champions League Magazine, premiering every Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel as well as on select FSN affiliates; check local listings.
Over the next three seasons, Fox Soccer Channel will televise one live and up to four delayed UEFA Champions League contests each match day, delivering 110 total matches per season to its nearly 35 million subscribers. FSN – reaching up to 91 million homes nationwide through its owned and affiliated regional sports networks – will televise one live contest on each of the 16 Tuesday match days per season plus select delayed games, while Fox Sports en Español will televise one live and up to four delayed UCL matches per match day, distributing 110 total contests in Spanish to its 14 million subscribers.
In addition to serving as one of the official sponsors of the UEFA Champions League, Heineken has signed on a season-long broadcast partner for Fox’s coverage of the competition.
2009/10 UEFA Champions League Playoff Round Live Telecast Schedule
Date
Teams
Network
August 18 FC Sheriff (MDA) vs. Olympiakos (GRE) Fox Soccer Channel Celtic (SCO) vs. Arsenal (ENG) FSN (check local listings) Timisoara (ROU) vs. Stuttgart (GER) Fox Sports en Español August 19 Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) vs. Anderlecht (BEL) Fox Soccer Channel Panathinaikos (GRE) vs. Atletico Madrid (ESP) Fox Sports en Español August 25 Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs. Salzburg (AUT) Fox Soccer Channel Atletico Madrid (ESP) vs. Panathinaikos (GRE) FSN (check local listings) and Fox Sports en Español August 26 Arsenal (ENG) vs. Celtic (SCO) Fox Soccer Channel Fiorentina (ITA) vs. Sporting Clube (POR) Fox Sports en Español
Kick-off time for all matches is 2:45 p.m. ET; home teams listed first
For a complete telecast schedule, visit championsonfox.com
With the English Premier League and the Champions League, Fox Soccer Channel has plenty of games to attract the hardcore soccer fan.
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