Fox Sports 1 vs ESPN

[Gothamite]

They're on the air, but the online companion has apparently been indefinitely delayed.

http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/fox-sports-tv-everywhere-service-is-no-show-as-espn-beefs-up-ipad-app-1200578851/

[DaytonBlue]

Sampled Fox Sports Live today.

They put the score on the screen before the end of the highlight. Did the same thing on NBCSN's the Lights. Found it very annoying.

League channels are the best highlights we have right now, and even those aren't always great.

[infrared41]

So tonight I watched a couple segments of a college football preview program on FOX Sports1. Granted, it's a pretty small sample size, but what I watched looked and sounded an awful lot like a typical ESPN program. It wasn't bad (it wasn't particularly good either) but it wasn't anything that made me think "yeah, I prefer this to ESPN's college football coverage." Then again, I suppose we can't expect FOX Sports1 to reinvent the wheel.

Just an observation.

[Still MIGHTY]

Well their college football/NFL/soccer programming isn't too much more than porting what they already had with those to a new channel. So I think that's to be expected.

However, I have very much enjoyed Fox Sports Live in its first two days, and we'll see what else they can pull out with their other new stuff starting tomorrow. FSL definitely has a different bit of style to that of SportsCenter and I like it. (And for what it's worth, I can already see SportsCenter changing a little tonight. Levy/Scott seemed like they were being a little extra goofy just to be goofy. Almost as if they were trying to lean towards the Jay/Dan material on FSL. It's only one weekend and one SC, but we'll see if that continues or if I'm just reading too much into it.)

[infrared41]

Well their college football/NFL/soccer programming isn't too much more than porting what they already had with those to a new channel. So I think that's to be expected.

As much as I hate it when you're right, I have to agree.

[tv15]

What if the NBA Playoffs were on fox sports 1

[dfwabel]

What if the NBA Playoffs were on fox sports 1

So their bid would ignore the regular season?

[Sport]

I watched Fox Sports Live last night and I really liked it. It felt like the sportscenters I grew up with. Highlight after highlight, fun anchors, little to no analysis. It was great. I hope they keep it up.

[Needschat]

More football talk for the gamblers out there, that's what this channel is. FS2 is the UFC channel still, as Fuel showed MMA fights more often than not.

[fouhy12]

I'm watching Crowd Goes Wild, and it seems pretty good so far. It's like SportsNation, but with more people.

[RyanMcD29]

Fox Sports Live was a lot better last night than Saturday. I think it flows better without having two totally different segments between Jay and Dan and the panel. Not to say the panel isn't bad, but I think you could do better splitting the two segments into two separate shows

[Thad]

What I really wish was on was the old NFL weekly highlight packages from the mid 70s. ESPN Classic used to show them. I don't know why the NFL Network doesn't put them on, at least in the offseason.

The highlight shows I'm thinking of were similar to it and were hosted by Pat Summerall.

"This Week in the NFL" was awesome. I loved that show when I was a kid. Sadly, it would probably put young people to sleep today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13M_L8koHZg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWcnIwoh8I0&list=PL36C43EA90076B7CC

I loved watching those on rainy summer days as a kid.

I also love the fact the Saints painted one endzone with Redskins colors.

[tv15]

I'm watching Crowd Goes Wild, and it seems pretty good so far. It's like SportsNation, but with more people.

"Regis the Horse"

[tv15]

Fox Sports Live was a lot better last night than Saturday. I think it flows better without having two totally different segments between Jay and Dan and the panel. Not to say the panel isn't bad, but I think you could do better splitting the two segments into two separate shows

They're are getting used to do these things every day

[Lights Out]

I really like FS1 so far, and it isn't anything like ESPN. They don't load up their shows with useless filler and ignorant talking points, nor have they really invented any phony drama about teams or players yet. For the first time in over a decade, there might be a general sports channel worth watching.

[RyanMcD29]

Fox Sports Live was a lot better last night than Saturday. I think it flows better without having two totally different segments between Jay and Dan and the panel. Not to say the panel isn't bad, but I think you could do better splitting the two segments into two separate shows

They're are getting used to do these things every day

Right, but my point is it's too jarring to go from a traditional highlights format to a five-man debate panel multiple times in an hour long broadcast. Don't get me wrong, seeing a huge variety of sports highlights that basically hit all the nails on their heads (every MLB game, every NFL preseason game, NASCAR, both EPL matches, a look at Barca and Madrid, all the golf and tennis, and even Moto GP and track and field) is very encouraging and is looking like a one-stop destination for sports news, but I think over time it's best if they split the two formats up.

[Kramerica Industries]

But be careful about making your assessments during the honeymoon period.

[dfwabel]

I really like FS1 so far, and it isn't anything like ESPN. They don't load up their shows with useless filler and ignorant talking points, nor have they really invented any phony drama about teams or players yet. For the first time in over a decade, there might be a general sports channel worth watching.

Coming in October, the "Lights Out/FS1 Dilemma" which will involve the lack of Boise State highlights vs. their soon-to-come West Coast Bias in excessive LA Clippers talk.

[alxy8s]

What if the NBA Playoffs were on fox sports 1

So their bid would ignore the regular season?

Can someone explain to me how the NBA's TV rights work?

ESPN and TNT both cover it, just split between Tues/Thurs and W/F/Sun coverage, respectively. What's to stop FS1 from buying the rights to Monday and Saturday games?

The NBA does a good job of scheduling high-profile games for their national broadcasts, though ESPN seems to get a few duds every year. The league even splits high profile events well, with TNT getting opening night and the All Star weekend, ESPN getting Christmas Day and the Finals, and each network getting exclusive rights to a conference final. It might be harder for FS1 to break into that tier, but I don't understand why the NBA wouldn't want more coverage and money for the league.

[dfwabel]

What if the NBA Playoffs were on fox sports 1

So their bid would ignore the regular season?

Can someone explain to me how the NBA's TV rights work?

ESPN and TNT both cover it, just split between Tues/Thurs and W/F/Sun coverage, respectively. What's to stop FS1 from buying the rights to Monday and Saturday games?

The NBA does a good job of scheduling high-profile games for their national broadcasts, though ESPN seems to get a few duds every year. The league even splits high profile events well, with TNT getting opening night and the All Star weekend, ESPN getting Christmas Day and the Finals, and each network getting exclusive rights to a conference final. It might be harder for FS1 to break into that tier, but I don't understand why the NBA wouldn't want more coverage and money for the league.

First off, the NBA national TV deal with Turner and ESPN/ABC is exclusive and will be exclusive until the 2015-16 season when there will be a new contract. Keep in mind that both Turner and ESPN/ABC have the ability to match any offer for their portion of the contract. Which days of the week they air games do not matter as it is a more of a result of other programming from both of them.

Under the current contract:

ABC airs 15 regular season games and the entire NBA finals and will televise an increased number of games earlier in the playoffs. The maximum number of times a certain team can appear on the network during the regular season has been increased.

ESPN and ESPN2 will continue to show up to 75 regular season games as well as one of the conference finals. ESPN will increase the number of early round playoff games it airs.

TNT will continue to air 52 regular season games, the All-Star game and the majority of the playoff games, including one of the conference finals.

This does not include NBATV schedule of 90+ games/season. Note that NBATV is jointly operated by Turner and the NBA, and Turner runs the NBA's digital arm.

Getting rights for games on a Monday would not make business sense for FS1 because early in the NBA season, they would be going up against ESPN's Monday Night Football and in January, they already have primetime programming since they will have Big East basketball and will most likely want continue some form of "Big Monday". They plan to air 100+ Big East game a year.