It will be an early Sunday morning for fans of the English Premier League. In Washington, where European soccer enjoys some its highest TV ratings in the country — Fox Sports Media Group’s first “Survival Sunday” is going to be well received.
Nine games will be telecast at 10 a.m. on FX, FSN, Fox Soccer, Fox Soccer Plus, Speed, Fuel, Fox Deportes, FoxSoccer.com and Fox Soccer 2Go. The pregame show with Rob Stone and Eric Wynalda will begin at 9:30 a.m. on all the networks except Speed.
Fox Soccer general manager David Nathanson discussed “Survival Sunday.”
Why did the network decide to do this?
Nathanson » “We take more risk, not just with the Barclays Premier League but with the UEFA Champions League and a number of our other soccer rights. … We’ve done a lot this year with the delayed and live games in conjunction with the NFL on Fox. ‘Survival Sunday’ is an extension of that. Beyond that, it is the right thing to do for viewers. In the past, people who are a follower of a particular team — and not necessarily the most popular team — are waiting to see where they end up at the end of the season and particularly those that risk relegation. They are some of the most dramatic and interesting stories that are told the entire year. The ability to showcase that across our properties is really unique, and we all couldn’t be more excited to be a part of that.”
What is the best way for fans to watch Sunday?
Nathanson »
“If you tune into Manchester United vs. Sunderland on FX, you’re going to be able to see every single goal that matters as we will offer in-game highlights. That coverage will be complimented on [www.foxsoccer.com/survivalsunday], where we will showcase how each team is progressing in near real time as they vie for the Champions League, the Europa League and relegation or for the league title. This is a first for us and a first for the Premier League in any territory. The goal is to show each game live, and everyone will have the same pregame show that will lead directly into each individual game which will not be carried on any delay.”
Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!, on washingtonexaminer.com.
