FOX Sports International has launched a new all-sports channel for Central and Eastern Europe. FOX Sports will broadcast 11 hours per day, seven days per week of premier international sports programming to cable and satellite viewers across the region. The channel will be offered via Eutelsat’s Hotbird satellite each evening from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Central European time.
FOX Sports is the first regional sports channel targeted exclusively to audiences in Central and Eastern Europe. Viewers in Russia, Romania, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and other key markets will now be able to enjoy FOX Sports’world-class coverage of major events and competitions. Programming highlights for the channel’s premiere month include first-division soccer matches from Argentina, Chile and Colombia; the Toulon International Under-21 soccer tournament; the International Hockey League Turner Cup playoffs; the ERA Real Estate Clay Court men’s tennis championship; live U.S. PGA Tour golf; and hard-hitting Super 12 rugby action. The May schedule also features a daily sports news show, the National Sports Report, and highlights of international soccer, motor sports and golf. Complete details of the FOX Sports programming schedule can be found on the channel’s Web site at www.foxsports.com/foxsportseu.
‘We are thrilled to introduce the excitement and passion of FOX Sports to viewers in Central and Eastern Europe,’ said Andrew Thau, Senior Vice President of Operations and Network Development for FOX Sports International. ‘Starting today, we will offer these new audiences the exclusive programming and cutting-edge production values for which FOX Sports has become renowned around the world.’
The new FOX Sports channel is being marketed and distributed by Fox Kids Europe. Fox Kids launched in Central and Eastern Europe on April 1, 1999 and currently reaches over 2.7 million homes in 15 countries, including Romania, Russia, Bulgaria and the Czech and Slovak Republics. The Fox Kids channel is available in three languages, including Romanian, Russian and English, from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CET. It is aimed at three- to 15-year olds, offering a varied and exciting mix of programming from the Saban library, one of the largest libraries of kids’ programming in the world. The combined offering brings to the market a unique opportunity for cable and satellite operators to provide viewers with a quality service, consisting of a Fox Kids channel for kids and family (6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) followed by a prime-time Fox Sports channel (7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) for dedicated sports fans.
FOX Sports International is a worldwide sports partnership between News Corporation and Liberty Media Corporation/Tele-Communications International, Inc (TCI¦) and operates the program services FOX Sports Latin America, FOX Sports World Espa±ol, FOX Sports World and FOX Sports (Middle East) as well as a worldwide program syndication sales business. Through News Corporation, it is also affiliated with FOX Sports and FOX Sports Net in the United States; FOX Sports Australia; Sky Sports in the United Kingdom; ESPN-STAR Sports in Asia; and other leading sports channels around the world.
For further information contact:
Ra·l de Quesada
FOX Sports International
Tel: 310-286-3854
Fax: 310-286-6389