Fox Sports International (FSI) and ChampionsWorld have entered into a new five-year agreement under which FSI will have exclusive international telecast distribution rights to no fewer than eight upcoming ChampionsWorld soccer events including this summer’s much-anticipated Manchester United tour of the United States. The global licensing agreement was announced today by David Sternberg, Senior Vice President of Emerging Networks for Fox Cable Networks Group, and follows the December announcement by ChampionsWorld of its Manchester United USA tour that kicks off on July 22 in Seattle.
Under the terms of the alliance, FSI gains exclusive rights to either telecast itself or otherwise distribute all programming related to the summer ChampionsWorld tour throughout the United States and all other key territories with the exception of the participating clubs’ home nations. The tour, which pits Manchester United against top international clubs including Glasgow Celtic, Juventus of Italy, FC Barcelona of Spain and Mexico’s Club America, will include more than 80 percent of the top soccer players in the world based on current rankings by the leading sanctioning bodies, with a minimum of 55 players having participated in the 2002 World Cup. FSI will distribute the much-anticipated Manchester United matches everywhere except for the United Kingdom and Ireland, while ChampionsWorld telecast partners in Italy and Spain will handle the single Juventus and FC Barcelona matches into those respective nations.
‘The opportunity to combine our Fox Sports networks and distribution operations across the globe with a host network Fox Sports World, fortunate to be known as the number one destination for soccer fans in the United States, makes this an exciting opportunity for everyone involved,’ said Sternberg. ‘Manchester United is just one of the clubs participating in this first tour that are collectively respected throughout the soccer world for their excellence. We look forward to providing the entire ChampionsWorld tour Fox Sports’ unique production, marketing and promotional expertise within both the international television community and the United States.’
Manchester United’s CEO, Peter Kenyon, welcomed the television development. ‘We are very pleased that Fox Sports International will be involved in our tour, bringing its television mastery to the public. Manchester United is proud of its exciting brand of soccer, and in alliance with FSI, the USA and the world can share it.’
Charlie Stillitano, CEO of ChampionsWorld, remarked, ‘our alliance with Fox Sports International opens the door for fans worldwide to see some of the world’s greatest teams and stars. This year and years to come, the ChampionsWorld Series will be highly anticipated by viewers and sponsors alike.’
The summer tour is scheduled to open on July 22 in Seattle with Manchester United and Celtic. It concludes August 3 as the inaugural event in Philadelphia’s new showcase stadium, Lincoln Financial Field.
Based in Los Angeles, Fox Sports International is an international sports programming and production entity housed within the Fox Cable Networks Group, one of the major operating units within Fox Entertainment Group (NYSE: FOX) and News Corporation (NYSE: NWS). FSI operates the programming services Fox Sports World and Fox Sports Middle East, as well as a London-based programming syndication sales division, and is partnered with Global Television in Fox Sports World Canada. It joined with Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. and Liberty Media Corporation to form Fox Pan American Sports LLC, the world’s largest Spanish-language sports operations and programming venture, spanning North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Through this joint venture, FSI manages the U.S. Spanish-language sports network Fox Sports en Español.
ChampionsWorld, based in New Jersey, is a full-service soccer promotion and management company dedicated to bringing the finest soccer to the United States. Founded and managed by Charlie Stillitano, ChampionsWorld has assembled a staff of internationally known and experienced personnel and was responsible for the near-sellout game between Real Madrid and Roma last summer at Giants Stadium.
For more details contact:
Veronica Alvarez, Fox Sports International
(t) +1 310 286 6329