“MLS SATURDAY ON FSC”
TO PREMIERE WITH THREE-HOUR LIVE MATCH COVERAGE ON APRIL 7
Los Angeles, CA – April 2, 2007 – The much anticipated “MLS Saturday on FSC,” Major League Soccer’s (MLS) first ever three-hour on-site programming block, kicks off this Saturday, April 7, with a live match at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California between Chivas USA and Toronto FC, MLS’ newest team. The action starts on Fox Soccer Channel with a live pre-game show from the stadium at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
As part of Fox Soccer Channel’s exclusive national coverage that will include approximately 28 regular season games and three playoff matches yearly through 2010, Fox Soccer Channel will be on-site at MLS venues each week to produce a live 30-minute pre-game, 15-minute halftime, and a 30-minute post-game show. The shows will include player and coach interviews, highlights of other league matches, statistical updates and expert analysis. Fans interested in getting in on the action will have the opportunity to share their views during the post-game show by calling 1-866-FOX-FANS or emailing mlssaturday@foxsoccer.com.
Making his Fox Soccer Channel debut, Todd Grisham, a former college soccer player and the host of WWE’s Monday Night Raw, will host “MLS Saturday on FSC,” alongside play-by-play commentator Max Bretos and color analyst Christopher Sullivan, a former MLS and U.S. men’s national team player. They will be joined on the sidelines by Fox Soccer Channel reporters Christian Miles, Mark Rogondino and Jeremy St. Louis.
Marking another first for U.S. soccer, “MLS Saturday on FSC” telecasts will showcase TrackVision sports broadcast enhancement system from Orad. By harnessing the powers of TrackVision’s play analysis and revolutionary virtual tracking capabilities, soccer fans in the U.S. will for the first time ever be able to gauge ball velocity and see dynamic virtual offside lines on their screen for controversial plays. In addition, Fox Soccer Channel’s coverage will spotlight the 10-yard circle between the ball and the defensive wall during free kicks, as well as measure the distance of the ball from the goal. In total, “MLS Saturday on FSC” will be shot using a combination of 13 cameras for on-site coverage.
On the Internet, Fox Soccer Channel has partnered with MLS to offer “MLS Fantasy Challenge,” the season’s official MLS fantasy game; weekly winners will be featured on-air and on the www.foxsoccer.com Web site. FoxSoccer.com, the leading online soccer destination in the United States, will also showcase a dedicated “MLS Saturday on FSC” homepage offering updated news and opinion columns, highlights, scores, standings, photo galleries and TV listings. In addition, FoxSoccer.com will offer a variety of MLS game ticket packages for sale in partnership with each of the home teams featured in the telecasts.
In its coverage, Fox Soccer Channel will be introducing “Get in the Game,” the official “MLS Saturday on FSC” theme song created and recorded by The Rising Sound. The song and accompanying music video will be featured during opening credits, on jumbotrons at stadiums, on the Web and in promotional spots airing across a variety of Fox Cable networks.
Advertiser interest in Fox Soccer Channel’s MLS broadcasts has been strong thus far, led by first-time Fox Soccer Channel advertiser Dick’s Sporting Goods, the presenting sponsor for the live half-time show. Other major “MLS Saturday on FSC” sponsors include Honda, Panasonic, adidas, and Makita Tools.
Fox Soccer Channel’s coverage of MLS will extend beyond “MLS Saturday on FSC.” Each week, the network’s nightly news program “Fox Soccer Report” will feature an MLS weekend preview hosted by soccer pundit Bobby McMahon and a Saturday and Sunday night recap of MLS weekend action. On Wednesdays, “MLS Pulse” will review the week’s news, highlights and opinions from around the league.
A complete schedule of Fox Soccer Channel’s coverage of the 2007 MLS season is available online at foxsoccer.com.
