Last-Minute Drama Expected as Chelsea, Tottenham & Arsenal Battle for European Honors

Features Include David Beckham Interview & Martin Tyler Essay

Los Angeles – Every year on the final day of the Barclays Premier League season, the 20 teams from the world’s top domestic soccer competition play each other in a frantic 10-match race for financial reward, hardware and European honors.

This year, FOX Soccer, FOX Sports Net and FOX Soccer Plus, together with digital platforms FOXSoccer.com and FOX Soccer 2Go, carry nine of the day’s 10 matches live, on Sunday, May 19 at 11:00 AM ET.  Pre-match coverage begins at 10:30 AM ET on FOX Soccer, followed by coverage of Tottenham vs. Sunderland. The Spurs’ season comes down to this: a must-win match at White Hart Lane, plus help from other match results, in order to give them the fourth-place finish and a coveted Champions League berth.  Simultaneously, FOX Soccer Plus carries UEFA Europa League champions Chelsea against Everton, who is still without a manager after former manager David Moyes replaced the retired Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

The final day of the Barclays Premier League season has drama and passion for all fans and teams involved. While Manchester United revels in glory as the League’s newly crowned champion, and the bottom three teams, Wigan Athletic, Reading and Queens Park Rangers, lament their relegation to the lower division, the battle for European qualification spots lives until the last whistle on Sunday.

The top four clubs in the Barclays Premier League earn UEFA Champions League qualification, receiving a potential reward of $75 million and the right to play in the world’s most prestigious club tournament. Pending the results of other domestic competitions, the fifth, sixth and seventh places in the Premier League also hold much significance. Once Sunday’s results are in, the holders of those spots qualify for the UEFA Europa League, a continent-wide knockout tournament with more than 40 years of history and tradition. Beginning this fall, 2013-2014 Europa League and Champions League contests air live on FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network, launching August 17.

After the matches, the series finale of Goals on Sunday airs at 1:30 PM ET on FOX Soccer, with a feature on Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs, one of the best players to ever play in the Premier League, as well as an interview with David Beckham following his announcement to retire at the end of the season. The show also takes a look back at the Barclays Premier League on FOX Soccer and includes a Martin Tyler essay highlighting his favorite memories.

MAY 19 Matches                                                   Network/TIME

Tottenham v Sunderland                                                FOX Soccer/10:30 AM ET

Chelsea v Everton                                                         FOX Soccer Plus/10:30 AM ET

West Brom v Manchester Utd.                                        FOX Sports Net/10:30 AM ET

Liverpool v Queens Park Rangers                                  FOXSoccer.com/11:00 AM ET

Manchester City v Norwich City                                      FOXSoccer.com/11:00 AM ET

Southampton v Stoke City                                             FOXSoccer2Go/11:00 AM ET

Swansea City v Fulham                                                  FOXSoccer2Go/11:00 AM ET

West Ham v Reading                                                     FOXSoccer2Go/11:00 AM ET

Wigan v Aston Villa                                                       FOXSoccer2Go/11:00 AM ET

Newcastle v Arsenal                                                      ESPN/11:00 AM ET

For more information regarding Survival Sunday, please visit www.twitter.com/FOXSoccer and www.facebook.com/FOXSoccer.

– FOX SOCCER –

CHICAGO (April 18, 2013) – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) announced today a one-year agreement to televise nine  games during the league’s inaugural season. As part of the agreement, FSMG will air six regular-season matches and all three playoff matches, which include the two semifinal games on August 24 and 25, and the championship game on August 31.

“We are very pleased to announce this media agreement with FOX Sports Media Group,” said NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey.  “The opportunity to highlight the race for the playoffs and the three biggest games of the season that will decide the first league champion on national television is important for the growth of the league. Our fans will get the chance to see the high caliber of women’s soccer, and we also hope to create many new fans who will appreciate the amazing athletes and personalities in the league.”

Beginning July 8, FOX Soccer will televise one game per week over the final six weeks of the season, leading up to the NWSL Playoffs.  The complete broadcast schedule will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“The agreement with the NWSL showcases our support of women’s soccer and the growing popularity it’s experiencing in the country,” said David Nathanson, General Manager of FOX Soccer. “We are excited to be the network home for the sport’s top level players, many of whom will be featured on FOX Sports at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is an eight-team Division-I women’s professional soccer league featuring players from Canada, Mexico and U.S. The founding clubs are the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Kansas City, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC, the Washington Spirit and the Western New York Flash. Based in Chicago, the NWSL is supported by the United States Soccer Federation, Canadian Soccer Association and Federation of Mexican Football.

FOX Soccer, part of the FOX Sports Media Group, offers the most comprehensive multi-media coverage of world-class soccer available in the United States.  Encompassing FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus, FOXSoccer.com and FOX Soccer 2Go, the network serves as the primary television, online, and mobile smart phone and tablet destination in the U.S. for elite competitions including England’s Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, the Scottish Premier League, and the Australian Hyundai A-League in addition to such prestigious tournaments as the CONCACAF Champions League and CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as the future home of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.  Flagship FOX Soccer is Nielsen-rated and available to service providers in High-Definition, reaching over 50 million cable and satellite households nationwide.

FOX Soccer Plus is a premium network providing the core fan with even more international and domestic high-level sports competitions in HD.  In addition to live, exclusive soccer matches from the best leagues in the world, FOX Soccer Plus delivers premium rugby from the RaboDirect PRO 12 League, Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup, among other competitions. Additionally, FOX Soccer Plus carries the world’s top rugby league competitions, including Australia’s National Rugby League and State of Origin Series, along with Europe’s Stobart Super League and Carnegie Challenge Cup. FOX Soccer Plus is also home to rugby league’s World Club Challenge and the Australian Football League. Live match coverage is available for fans on-the-go via premium broadband service FOX Soccer 2Go, available online and via mobile and tablet applications. For more information – as well as news, features, analysis stats and more – visit one of America’s most-visited online soccer destinations at FOXSoccer.com, and the network’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@FOXSoccer).

— www.NWSLsoccer.com —

GUINNESS® INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS CUP ANNOUNCED; WILL BRING WORLD CLASS SOCCER MATCHES TO VENUES ACROSS THE WORLD

FOX Soccer To Air Matches, Guinness To Be Lead Sponsor

First of its Kind Preseason Tournament will Culminate in Miami August 6-7

Over 160 of the World’s Best Players, Including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gianluigi Buffon, Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos and Landon Donovan to Descend on Sun Life Stadium

MIAMI GARDENS, FL (April 17, 2013) – Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures, and FOX Sports Media Group, today unveiled plans for the 2013 Guinness International Champions Cup, a brand new eight team bracketed soccer tournament taking place this summer in the United States.  The announcement of the multi-year agreement was made by Relevent Sports CEO Charlie Stillitano, Matt Higgins, President and CEO of RSE Ventures, David Nathanson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, FOX Soccer and Doug Campbell, Guinness Brand Manager.

Eight teams are participating in the one-of-a-kind tournament including club teams from Spain, Italy and the United States.  Following is a list of four participating teams; four additional marquee international clubs will be announced on May 7.

●       Inter Milan

●       Juventus

●       LA Galaxy

●       Real Madrid

“The United States has never seen a club soccer tournament of this scope and caliber,” said Charlie Stillitano, Relevent Sports CEO. “The Guinness International Champions Cup will bring a new level of excitement and enthusiasm to the burgeoning sport of soccer across America. The teams are world-class, the fans are passionate and we could not be happier to facilitate such a landmark event.  I want to personally thank Stephen Ross for the vision and support in turning this tournament into reality.”

The tournament will open in Europe on July 27 in a city to be determined and be contested over seven days at six marquee venues across the United States, with semi-finals in New York and Los Angeles on Aug. 3-4.  Below is a complete list of United States host cities:

●       Phoenix

●       San Francisco

●       Indianapolis

●       Los Angeles

●       New York

●       Miami

The tournament will be seen in 151 countries across the world and culminate on August 6-7 as all eight teams descend upon Miami’s Sun Life Stadium for a pair of exciting doubleheaders including the championship match on August 7.  FOX Soccer will televise 11 of the prestigious tournament’s 12 matches live, including the championship on Aug. 7 at 9:00 PM ET.  FOX Sports will also add to the coverage and broadcast a live match Saturday Aug, 3 at 8:00PM ET.  In future years the tournament will be televised by FOX Sports 1, FSMG’s newly minted national multi-sport cable channel launching in August.

“FOX Soccer is excited to work with Relevent Sports and Guinness to be the primary television home for the Guinness International Champions Cup this summer,” said David Nathanson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, FOX Soccer.  “The tournament brings great teams from around the world together in the U.S. and gives American soccer fans a chance to see the sport and at its highest level of play.”

Each participating team has a long-standing soccer tradition not only in their respective leagues, but on an international scale.  Every team in the tournament has won their home country’s league title in multiple seasons, countless European championships and have over 100 combined domestic league championships.  The United States has not seen a tournament of this caliber since they hosted the 1994 World Cup and the fast growing soccer market continues to express the desire for additional games. The inclusion of these international championship clubs into one tournament in the U.S. will be unforgettable for both host cities and fans alike.

“This tournament will set the gold standard for club soccer in the United States,” said Matt Higgins, CEO of RSE Ventures, the sports, entertainment and technology company co-founded by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

“A year ago, Stephen Ross had the vision to create a meaningful preseason tournament that would bring the world’s best teams and top talent to venues all across the United States, culminating in an unprecedented celebration of the sport at Sun Life Stadium. The Guinness International Champions Cup is more than a soccer tournament; it will make it possible for Americans across the country to experience competitive international soccer first hand.”

Miami’s Sun Life Stadium will host all eight teams for the championship and consolation rounds on August 6 and 7.  The four games over two days will not only highlight the world-class level of the sport, the continued growth and passion for soccer in the United States but also Miami’s thriving food, arts and music scene with a two-day fan festival.  Tickets for the doubleheader matches at Sun Life will be available at www.internationalchampionscup.com.

“Guinness & Co. is a well-known supporter and champion for sports around the world and we are very excited to be involved with such a groundbreaking international soccer event here in the United States,” said Doug Campbell, GUINNESS Brand Director. “To so many, soccer is more than a game and we have always celebrated Guinness beer as being more than a beer. We are excited to bring the brand’s refreshing tasting Guinness Black Lager to thousands of passionate adult sports fans to enjoy, responsibly, this summer during the Guinness International Champions Cup.”

All teams will play at least three matches in the bracketed tournament, including one match at Sun Life.  Fans can look forward to learning more about the four additional teams, venues and tournament bracket on May 7.  Further details about the Guinness International Champions Cup can be found at www.internationalchampionscup.com. Teams required to qualify for 2013-14 international competition based on 2012-13 domestic league finishing position may be subject to change.

About Relevent Sports

Relevent Sports brings the excitement and intensity of international soccer to the United States by showcasing the best clubs in the world through premier tournaments and events.  Going beyond the game, Relevent provides an innovative approach to building international soccer presence by utilizing brand development, grassroots planning, corporate sponsors, international touring and philanthropic initiatives for the soccer organizations.

About RSE Ventures

Founded in 2012 by Stephen M. Ross and Matt Higgins, RSE Ventures operates in four interrelated verticals: Sports, Entertainment, Digital, and New Ventures. The company’s growing roster of companies, venues and events includes the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, Sun Life Stadium, Relevent Sports and Insignia Sports & Entertainment

About FOX Soccer

FOX Soccer, part of the FOX Sports Media Group, offers the most comprehensive multi-media coverage of worldclass soccer available in the United States. Encompassing FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus, FOXSoccer.com and FOX Soccer 2Go, the network serves as the primary television, online, and mobile smart phone and tablet destination in the U.S. for elite competitions including England’s Barclays Premier League and FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, the Scottish Premier League, and the Australian Hyundai A-League in addition to such prestigious tournaments as the CONCACAF Champions League and CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as the future home of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. FOX Soccer is Nielsen-rated and available to service providers in High-Definition, reaching over 50 million cable and satellite households nationwide. Premium broadband service FOX Soccer 2Go provides fans with live match coverage on-the-go online and via mobile and tablet applications. For more information – as well as news, features, analysis stats and more – visit one of America’s most-visited online soccer destinations at FOXSoccer.com, and the network’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@FOXSoccer).

About GUINNESS®

The GUINNESS® brand enjoys a global reputation as a beer of uncompromising quality and the best-selling stout in the world.  Famous for its dark color, velvety smooth texture and unique surge and settle, this distinctive beer has been brewed at the St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, Ireland since 1759.  Over 10 million glasses of GUINNESS beer are enjoyed every single day around the world, and 1.8 billion pints are sold every year.  GUINNESS beer is available in well over 100 countries worldwide and is brewed in almost 50.  Also from the makers of GUINNESS, SMITHWICK’S, Ireland’s oldest and best selling ale and HARP Lager, whose name pays tribute to the GUINNESS logo and the national symbol of Ireland.  Additional information about the GUINNESS brand can be found at www.guinness.com.

As always, whether enjoying GUINNESS® Black Lager at a soccer match or at home in front of the game, GUINNESS encourages all consumers to drink responsibly.

About Diageo

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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