With the much-ballyhooed launch of the FOX Sports 1 network just days away, FOX is pushing a lot of chips into the middle of the table in their bid to topple ESPN's long-standing stranglehold over the cable sports dial.
The new network rolls out Aug. 17 with a lineup that's heavy on MMA and motorsports before ramping up in a big way by month's end with the start of an extensive slate of college football matchups.
Overall, FOX Sports 1 will be available in over 90 million homes on Aug. 17, making it one of the largest network launches in cable history. FOX Sports co-president Eric Shanks said expect to see nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming right out of the gate, including the daily news and hightlights show "Fox Sports Live" featuring former NBA legend Gary Payton, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and tennis star Andy Roddick. They've also got daily shows devoted to soccer ("FOX Soccer Daily"), the NFL ("Fox Football Daily") and…Regis Philbin ("Crowd Goes Wild")!?
We're just going to assume they know what they're doing on that one.
Prime time on August 17 will also feature “UFC Fight Night,” the new network's first of many upcoming UFC fight cards. And by next year, FOX's new rights agreement with Major League Baseball kicks in, bringing regular and postseason games to FS1.
If you want a taste of what FS1 brings to the table, check out the trailer for the new channel above. Sports never seemed like so much fun, right? It also never looked like it hurt so much, but hey, there's a price to all that glory…
