Fox Sports 1 seriously flopped

[HHR]

I remember when I was a child CNN sports channel. It was legit highlights no extra debating or pundits like ESPN but it was good for just getting your general sports news.

That's how ESPN used to be too. Sportscenter was all scores and highlights.

In this era of social media, streaming games, etc....that kind of show will no longer draw viewers.

 

[tremonthustler1]

Fox Sports 1 is DOA. The way that the market is set up they'll never be able to achieve even a fraction of the success ESPN has.

It pretty much breaks down like this: You can put whatever show with whatever host and whatever format or gimmick you can think of on FS1, and it won't fukkin matter. Those shows aren't what's gonna get you an audience. THE GAMES are going to get you an audience. BIG EVENTS are going to get you an audience. And the bosses at FS1 aren't stupid. They obviously know this.

THE PROBLEM IS getting the TV rights to the Leagues and Events that will draw the biggest audiences. This is alot trickier for Fox Sports 1 than it would appear. Fox obviously launched FS1 being extremely confident that it could obtain a significant amount of TV deals with major events and Leagues. They had already locked up TV deals with the Pac 12, Big 12 and what was left of Big East Basketball after all the football schools left. They were ready to put up big money to build off that. The problem was, is, and will continue to be one that can be summed up by looking at the NBA deal negotiations that took place last year. The NBA will always spread their national games across two networks (along with NBATV of course). Fox's #1 mission was to be one of those two networks. According to alot of reports, Fox offered the NBA more money than ANY other network. ESPN, Turner, NBC, ALL OF EM. But the problem is, the NBA has to take more than the TV money into consideration; they've gotta balance that with exposure and branding. Considering that Inside the NBA is widely considered the most popular studio show in ALL of sports, even football, as well as the fact that Turner runs NBATV already, it was pretty obvious from the jump that TNT was keeping its deal. NBC wasn't putting up nearly as much as Fox and ESPN, so it came down to them. To jump off subject for a second, look at the Big East's deal with Fox. The league got big money for the deal, but it had a negative impact on the league. Despite the fact that alot of the better teams had left, you had big name schools like Villanova and Georgetown who went from being the featured event on ESPN every Monday and Saturday Night, to being hidden away on FS1, getting virtually zero ratings. The NBA could've taken more money to go with Fox, they would've seen a HUGE dropoff in exposure. It could've potentially been a major setback for their brand. It didn't make any sense to take that big of a risk.

And that's the problem FS1 has been and will continue to run into. They're not gonna find alot of properties willing sacrifice ratings and exposure in exchange for more money up front. The content they need to build the network is likely unattainable.

So currently, they're trying to grow their audience with the following:

Pac 12 Football and Basketball-(Programming that most viewers east of Colorado have zero interest in)

Big 12 Football and Basketball-(A deal that doesn't include Texas, which is by far the biggest ratings draw in the conference)

Major League Baseball-(A sport that has been declining in popularity for 20 years with an aging fanbase that advertisers find unappealing)

NASCAR (A sport that peaked in popularity nearly 15 years ago.)

UFC (A sport that peaked in popularity 5 years ago, and who's biggest star is a woman who had very little financial incentive to compete much longer given the fact the money she can make as an entertainer is much more than what the UFC can/will pay her.

They have zero shot at the NBA, SEC Football, Big 10, ACC, NFL (NFL let CBS get a piece of Thursday Night Football because they felt it wasn't getting enough exposure ON THEIR OWN NETWORK. FS1 ain't getting NFL fam.), or Soccer now that NBC has prioritized that. It's a wrap for them.

that's all fine and good except even if they had rights to the stuff you say, it wouldn't make a difference. Nobody's tolerating ESPN programming because they just so happen to air marquee games. Ain't no marquee games at 10AM, but people will still watch First Take just cuz. You can get your scores from your phone and highlights anywhere, but after any game, you're tuning into Sportscenter. It's ingrained in your routine.

It's like when TSC brehs bytch about WWE programming and want alternatives. It's not because they wanna see the WWE overthrown It's because they hope competition produces higher quality for the E, which is all they really want.

 

[The Midnight Marauder]

that's all fine and good except even if they had rights to the stuff you say, it wouldn't make a difference. Nobody's tolerating ESPN programming because they just so happen to air marquee games. Ain't no marquee games at 10AM, but people will still watch First Take just cuz. You can get your scores from your phone and highlights anywhere, but after any game, you're tuning into Sportscenter. It's ingrained in your routine.

Well, yes and no.

People watch Sportscenter, PTI, HQ, First Take, etc out of routine, sure. But those routines are formed by viewers regularly tuning into ESPN to watch the actual games. And ESPN have had TV rights on lock for three decades. Say Fox was able to get rights to the NBA, Monday Night Football, SEC Football, ACC Basketball, more MLB and the College Football Playoff games. ESPN would likely still outdraw FS1 because the brand has been built up for so long. But FS1 would slowly but surely build up their brand among the audience, and change viewer routine. It's more of a 10 year plan for them, but they don't have the properties needed to even pull it off.

 

[hayesc0]

They would get ratings if they had more of this.

 

[Black White Sox Hat]

It's a pretty good channel.I like it.

 

[SHAQAVELLI]

Damn. That was pretty much the only program I watched.

It was a fukking gift that Francesa landed in FS1's lap after YES dumped him ... and then they go and dump him for Colin Cowherd, who they probably are paying 5x more for 1.5x the ratings



Hate it or love it, ESPN still the king of this shyt on all platforms

 

[NatiboyB]

I remember last year, people on here were talking like they would seriously compete with ESPN. Since then I've watched about 20 times more NBC Sports Network than Fox Sports 1. I don't think I have ever sit through a Fox Sports One studio show. Nothing they have done has been differentiated or relevant.

what is it? an app or something?

 

[BXKingPin82]

i was just tellin my pops i havent watched any of these sports channels in a HOT minute
the apps man

THE APPS!!!!!

 

[Super Cheech]

I used to watch it alot when Dodgers were on there...I'd leave it on

 

[Xerces]

it's great! It's showing Bundesliga matches

 

[PortCityProphet]

I watched some of their main highlight show on Monday or Tuesday night it was decent from what I saw. They were going through some college football preview/review. with sound from the coaches and everything. I was impressed, no talking heads, no bullshyt opinions. They talked about 5 different teams one to the next. it was so great
then they went to baseball and i changed the channel

 

[Optimus Prime]

They would get ratings if they had more of this.

I'm surprised she's still there now that she got the "Extra" gig with Slater. She will probably end up back at ESPN in LA when her Fox contract is up...

 

[mson]

Fox Sports 1 is DOA. The way that the market is set up they'll never be able to achieve even a fraction of the success ESPN has.

It pretty much breaks down like this: You can put whatever show with whatever host and whatever format or gimmick you can think of on FS1, and it won't fukkin matter. Those shows aren't what's gonna get you an audience. THE GAMES are going to get you an audience. BIG EVENTS are going to get you an audience. And the bosses at FS1 aren't stupid. They obviously know this.

THE PROBLEM IS getting the TV rights to the Leagues and Events that will draw the biggest audiences. This is alot trickier for Fox Sports 1 than it would appear. Fox obviously launched FS1 being extremely confident that it could obtain a significant amount of TV deals with major events and Leagues. They had already locked up TV deals with the Pac 12, Big 12 and what was left of Big East Basketball after all the football schools left. They were ready to put up big money to build off that. The problem was, is, and will continue to be one that can be summed up by looking at the NBA deal negotiations that took place last year. The NBA will always spread their national games across two networks (along with NBATV of course). Fox's #1 mission was to be one of those two networks. According to alot of reports, Fox offered the NBA more money than ANY other network. ESPN, Turner, NBC, ALL OF EM. But the problem is, the NBA has to take more than the TV money into consideration; they've gotta balance that with exposure and branding. Considering that Inside the NBA is widely considered the most popular studio show in ALL of sports, even football, as well as the fact that Turner runs NBATV already, it was pretty obvious from the jump that TNT was keeping its deal. NBC wasn't putting up nearly as much as Fox and ESPN, so it came down to them. To jump off subject for a second, look at the Big East's deal with Fox. The league got big money for the deal, but it had a negative impact on the league. Despite the fact that alot of the better teams had left, you had big name schools like Villanova and Georgetown who went from being the featured event on ESPN every Monday and Saturday Night, to being hidden away on FS1, getting virtually zero ratings. The NBA could've taken more money to go with Fox, they would've seen a HUGE dropoff in exposure. It could've potentially been a major setback for their brand. It didn't make any sense to take that big of a risk.

And that's the problem FS1 has been and will continue to run into. They're not gonna find alot of properties willing sacrifice ratings and exposure in exchange for more money up front. The content they need to build the network is likely unattainable.

So currently, they're trying to grow their audience with the following:

Pac 12 Football and Basketball-(Programming that most viewers east of Colorado have zero interest in)

Big 12 Football and Basketball-(A deal that doesn't include Texas, which is by far the biggest ratings draw in the conference)

Major League Baseball-(A sport that has been declining in popularity for 20 years with an aging fanbase that advertisers find unappealing)

NASCAR (A sport that peaked in popularity nearly 15 years ago.)

UFC (A sport that peaked in popularity 5 years ago, and who's biggest star is a woman who had very little financial incentive to compete much longer given the fact the money she can make as an entertainer is much more than what the UFC can/will pay her.

They have zero shot at the NBA, SEC Football, Big 10, ACC, NFL (NFL let CBS get a piece of Thursday Night Football because they felt it wasn't getting enough exposure ON THEIR OWN NETWORK. FS1 ain't getting NFL fam.), or Soccer now that NBC has prioritized that. It's a wrap for them.

They also have Champions league Soccer, Bundesliga, and Boxing. I find myself watching a little more FS1 than NBC sports these days. Working in TV can be stressful breh.

 

[aceboon]

They just fired their president a week after he laid off their entire writing staff. Has Whitlock written any thinkpieces yet about how the liberal agenda is killing the network....

 

[mson]

They just fired their president a week after he laid off their entire writing staff. Has Whitlock written any thinkpieces yet about how the liberal agenda is killing the network....

Jamie Horowitz, head of Fox Sports programming, fired in sexual harassment probe