Fox Sports (USA)

:"See also, Fox Sports (Australia) and "Fox Sports Net."Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company (part of News Corporation). It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games. Other properties have included the National Hockey League (1994–1999), Major League Baseball (1996–present), World League Football (later NFL Europe, then NFL Europa, now defunct) (1997–2005), college football's Cotton Bowl (1999–present), most of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS National Championship Game, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Sugar Bowl) (2007–present), and NASCAR (2001–present).‎

Exclusive coverage

FOX has become the exclusive home of the Daytona 500 after having alternated the event with NBC Sports throughout their first NASCAR contract. Also beginning in 2007 they will televise 4 Formula One races, including the United States Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix, plus two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races live. In addition, FOX covered the first 90 minutes of the 45th Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 27th. The Formula One and Rolex 24 events will use Speed Channel's, FOX's sister network, equipment and staff, and will be broadcasted under the SPEED on FOX banner.

Fox Sports has been the exclusive broadcaster of the World Series since 2000. A new contract announced on July 11, 2006, guarantees that Fox Sports will keep the World Series through the 2013 season [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/07/11/fox.deal/index.html SI.com - MLB - Jon Heyman: Fox to ink new deal with MLB - Tuesday July 11, 2006 10:58AM ] ] .

Cable channels

In addition to the broadcast division, Fox owns numerous regional U.S. cable sports channels under the Fox Sports Net banner, among others. These cable channels also include SPEED Channel, which provides additional NASCAR and F-1 coverage, and Fox Soccer Channel, which broadcasts the English Premier League and Major League Soccer, among other competitions.

Graphics, scoring bugs and theme music

The graphics and scoring bugs have won awards and changed the face of sports broadcasting in the United States. The opening notes of the NFL broadcast theme can be heard in every iteration of other Fox Sports broadcast themes. When the scoring bugs are upgraded, the previous versions are passed down to the various Fox Sports Net affiliates. The first score bug was used for FOX's NFL coverage, then was expanded to baseball and hockey broadcasts.

2001-2003

By 2001, the score bug became a banner at the top of the screen and was simpler than today's. It featured a transparent black rectangle, a baseball diamond graphic for baseball broadcasts on the far left, the team abbreviations in white with their scores in yellow boxes; the boxes were white for NFL broadcasts until Super Bowl 36, when the boxes became yellow, Then the quarter or inning, time or number of outs, pitch count/speed (baseball broadcasts), and the logo of that certain FOX program, such as NFL on FOX or MLB on FOX on the far right.

2003-2006

Beginning with the 2003 NFL season, the banner was upgraded, at first the team abbreviations were replaced with the team logos, and the scores were white in black parallelograms, the logos would be replaced with the abbreviations in the team's main color. The scores would flash whenever a team scores. On the baseball broadcasts, the whole banner would flash, then the words HOME RUN" and the team's name in the team's color zoom in to the center from both left and right. In late 2005, a new white banner resembling a chrome finish was introduced, and the team abbreviations became white letters in the team's main color.

In 2004, the baseball broadcasts continued to use the 2001 scoring banners and graphics until the postseason.

2006-

The current, and newest iteration of the scoring banner beginning with the 2006 NFL season features the real-time scores as a permanent fixture on the extreme right side of the bar, while the coloring of the banner changes to the colors of the team currently possessing the ball (the coloring of the banner was only on football broadcasts). The banner no longer flashes after runs, touchdowns, or field goals have been scored. On the baseball broadcasts, the diamond graphic appears to be in the middle and has been slimmed down to just the three main bases, unlike other implements which included home plate. This banner, after being first used for NFL broadcasts in 2006 was eventually expanded to BCS, NASCAR, and baseball broadcasts; the baseball broadcasts, however, continued to use the late-2005 scoring banners and graphics in 2007.

HDTV coverage

Fox Sports began airing programs in 720p HDTV starting on September 12, 2004 with select NFL games and the 2004 MLB Postseason. Nearly all of Fox's Sports programming now airs in HD.

Public service

In February 2008, Fox Sports announced a new charitable foundation called Fox Supports, which will give grants and marketing support for health-related causes. It will support the following four charities between now and the beginning of 2009: Autism Speaks, Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Children's Health Fund, and the Alzheimer's Association. Each organization is tied to a specific events package seen on Fox Sports. [http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/7793968/Fox-Sports-launches-Fox-Sports-Supports Fox Sports launches Fox Sports Supports]

Programs throughout the years

Current broadcast rights
* National Football League: "The NFL on FOX", "FOX NFL Sunday", "The OT", 1994 -present
** Super Bowls XXXI, XXXIII, XXXVI, XXXIX, XLII, & XLV
* Major League Baseball: "Major League Baseball on FOX", "FOX Saturday Baseball", 1996-present
** 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, & 2008 World Series
**FOX Sports holds the exclusive broadcast rights of the World Series through 2013.
* NASCAR: "NASCAR on FOX", "SPEED on FOX", 2001-present
** 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008 Daytona 500
**FOX Sports holds the exclusive broadcast rights of the Daytona 500 through 2014. [ [http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/official/12/07/tv_deal/index.html NASCAR.com - Eight-year, multi-network TV deal announced] ]
* College football
** Bowl Championship Series: "BCS on FOX" (does not include Rose Bowl) 2007-present
** Cotton Bowl 1999-present
* Formula One 4 races including the United States Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix 2007-present

Former broadcast rights
* National Hockey League: "The NHL on FOX", "FOX NHL Saturday", 1994-1999
* NFL Europe 1997-2005
* Horse Racing 1998-2000

Technological enhancements

*FoxBox (sports)
*FoxTrax
*Major League Baseball on FOX - Innovations

Main competitors

* "ESPN on ABC"
* "NBC Sports"
* "CBS Sports"

Cable offshoots

* Fox College Sports
* Fox Soccer Channel
* Fox Sports Net
* Fox Sports en Español
* Fox Sports en Latinoamérica
* Fox Sports World Canada
* SPEED Channel

Notes and references

ee also

* List of Fox Sports announcers
* NFL on television
* Fox Broadcasting Company
* Fox Sports Net
* Fox College Sports
* Fox Sports Radio

External links

* [http://www.foxsports.com Fox Sports Website]