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Champions Will Rise on FOX Sports 1

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fox-sports-1-logoGus Johnson, Bill Raftery and Erin Andrews Call Four Straight Nights

of Prime-Time BIG EAST Tournament Action Live from Madison Square Garden

FOX Sports 1 Presents Pac-12 Tournament Coverage, Including Championship

FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF Pregame Show Is Live Each Day

From “World’s Most Famous Arena”

New York – FOX Sports 1 puts the full-court press on college basketball, presenting live coverage of the BIG EAST and Pac-12 men’s basketball tournaments next week. Home to the BIG EAST all season long, FOX Sports 1 has the entire BIG EAST Tournament from tip-off on Wednesday, March 12, until the champion is crowned on Saturday, March 15. America’s new sports network also has three nights of Pac-12 Tournament action, including Saturday’s championship game. FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF is on site at Madison Square Garden for full pregame, halftime and postgame highlights and analysis.

FOX Sports’ lead college basketball broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson and analyst Bill Raftery bring their unique brand of exciting calls to seven of the BIG EAST Tournament’s nine games, while Erin Andrews reports the latest news from behind the benches. Johnson, Raftery and Andrews call the prime-time contests each night, while Justin Kutcher and Tarik Turner have Thursday’s afternoon matchups all live from Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City.

Across the country in Las Vegas, play-by-play announcer Aaron Goldsmith, analyst Sean Elliott and reporter Molly McGrath call three Pac-12 Tournament contests live from the MGM Grand Garden beginning with the fourth quarterfinal on Thursday, Mach 13 (11:30 PM ET). Pac-12 coverage continues with the second semifinal on Friday, March 14 (11:30 PM ET) and concludes with the championship game on Saturday, March 15 (6:00 PM ET).

In addition, FOX Sports 1 airs the semifinals and finals of the Big 12 and BIG EAST women’s basketball tournaments. Semifinals of the Big 12 women’s tournament tip off Sunday, March 9, at 3:00 and 5:00 PM ET, with the championship game set for Monday, March 10, at 9:00 PM ET. Ron Thulin and Brenda VanLengen have the call live from Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. FOX Sports 1’s coverage of the BIG EAST women’s tournament begins Monday, March 10 with semifinal action at 4:00 and 6:30 PM ET. The championship game gets underway at 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, March 11 with Tiffany Greene and LaChina Robinson live from Allstate Arena in Chicago.

FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF host Rob Stone and analysts Austin Croshere and Turner are on site at Madison Square Garden, from Tuesday through Saturday, March 11-15, to break down all the action on and off the court. The crew also checks in with FOX Sports 1’s signature nightly news, highlights and opinion show, FOX SPORTS LIVE, for regular updates beginning Tuesday, March 11. Villanova head coach Jay Wright joins Stone, Croshere and Turner for the pregame show on Wednesday, March 12 (6:30 PM) before the BIG EAST Tournament tips off.

Throughout its tournament coverage next week, FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF presents exclusive behind-the-scenes access to one of the top teams in the country. CREIGHTON ALL-ACCESS is a series of backstage features chronicling the Bluejays’ journey during their first BIG EAST Tournament, with one feature running each night of the tournament. Additional stories airing during the week include PLAYING IN THE GARDEN, voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andre Braugher, and a conversation between legendary Georgetown head coach John Thompson and his son, FOX Sports 1 college basketball analyst Ronny Thompson.

College basketball games televised on FOX Sports 1 are streamed live via FOX Sports GO through participating video providers. For more information, including news and updates throughout March Madness, visit FOXSports.com and follow @HOOPSonFOX on Twitter.

The full schedule of college basketball conference tournament programming on FOX Sports 1, including broadcaster information, can be found below.

View the FOX Sports 1 BIG EAST Tournament promo spot: http://youtu.be/GUj6t_R4PLw.

DATE TIME (ET) PROGRAM Play-by-Play / Host Analyst Reporter / Analyst
Sunday, March 9 3:00 PM Big 12 Tournament Semifinal (w) Ron Thulin Brenda VanLengen
Sunday, March 9 5:30 PM Big 12 Tournament Semifinal (w) Ron Thulin Brenda VanLengen
Monday, March 10 4:00 PM BIG EAST Tournament Semifinal (w) Tiffany Greene LaChina Robinson
Monday, March 10 6:30 PM BIG EAST Tournament Semifinal (w) Tiffany Greene LaChina Robinson
Monday, March 10 9:00 PM Big 12 Tournament Final (w) Ron Thulin Brenda VanLengen
Tuesday, March 11 9:00 PM BIG EAST Tournament Final (w) Tiffany Greene LaChina Robinson
Wednesday, March 12 6:30 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Wednesday, March 12 7:00 PM BIG EAST Tournament Game 1 Gus Johnson Bill Raftery Erin Andrews
Wednesday, March 12 9:00 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS EXTRA Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Wednesday, March 12 9:30 PM BIG EAST Tournament Game 2 Gus Johnson Bill Raftery Erin Andrews
Thursday, March 13 12:00 PM BIG EAST Tournament Game 3 Justin Kutcher Tarik Turner
Thursday, March 13 2:00 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS EXTRA Rob Stone Austin Croshere
Thursday, March 13 2:30 PM BIG EAST Tournament Game 4 Justin Kutcher Tarik Turner
Thursday, March 13 6:30 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Thursday, March 13 7:00 PM BIG EAST Tournament Game 5 Gus Johnson Bill Raftery Erin Andrews
Thursday, March 13 9:00 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS EXTRA Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Thursday, March 13 9:30 PM BIG EAST Tournament Game 6 Gus Johnson Bill Raftery Erin Andrews
Thursday, March 13 11:30 PM PAC-12 Tournament Game 8 Aaron Goldsmith Sean Elliott Molly McGrath
Friday, March 14 6:30 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Friday, March 14 7:00 PM BIG EAST Tournament Semifinal 1 Gus Johnson Bill Raftery Erin Andrews
Friday, March 14 9:00 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS EXTRA Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Friday, March 14 9:30 PM BIG EAST Tournament Semifinal 2 Gus Johnson Bill Raftery Erin Andrews
Friday, March 14 11:30 PM PAC-12 Tournament Semifinal 2 Aaron Goldsmith Sean Elliott Molly McGrath
Saturday, March 15 5:00 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Saturday, March 15 6:00 PM PAC-12 Tournament Final Aaron Goldsmith Sean Elliott Molly McGrath
Saturday, March 15 8:00 PM FOX COLLEGE HOOPS EXTRA Rob Stone Austin Croshere Tarik Turner
Saturday, March 15 8:30 PM BIG EAST Tournament Final Gus Johnson Bill Raftery Erin Andrews

— FOX SPORTS —

Former England Interim Manager Stuart Pearce Joins FOX Soccer Daily

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fox-soccer-logoEngland’s Former Interim Manager Stuart Pearce: “Anything past the quarterfinal for England at the World Cup will be beyond expectations”

On Coaching in the MLS: “I’m certainly open-minded”

England Faces Chile, Germany on FOX Sports 1

On striker Wayne Rooney’s current form for the England National Team: “I think the start of the regular season was not so good, a bit slow, but he’s coming to form really well now. If he fully delivers at the major finals, next summer will be a big one for him. I’ve been a little disappointed with what he’s done once he gets to the finals, but he’s a key player. He needs to fire for England to be successful.

On the midfield partnership of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard: “I think Roy (Hodgson) has put a lot of focus on those two individuals. The age and the amount of football they can play and they will play between now and the summer will be really important. Their physical condition will be really important as well. They are both fantastic professionals. You just keep your fingers crossed. Steven has rediscovered himself as a player slightly. He’s not the charging forward player of old, he’s more cute, picking the ball up from deep and starting the attack. I think those two are left to be used wisely between now and the summer

On England’s World Cup chances in Brazil: “I think realistic will be a quarterfinal berth. Anything beyond that will be beyond expectations in my eyes. We’re a nation that’s not won anything for 60 years.

On Joe Hart being dropped from tomorrow’s starting lineup: “It might help his development in the long term. I saw Joe when I was there as Manchester City manager and his career has only gone on an upward spiral. This is the first time where he’s had a little adversity to deal with. I think he’ll come out of that and it’ll spur him on. I think he’s the No. 1 goalkeeper for England, whether he starts tomorrow or he doesn’t.

Assessing Roy Hodgson’s performance as England manager: “He’s done nothing wrong. I think he had a free ride in the summer, but the bare minimum that he needed to do was to get England to the finals and he did that without losing a game and fairly comfortably. There’s good confidence among the group and they’ve got a decent structure about the way we play. I think he’s done everything that’s been asked of him at the moment.

On the possibility of coaching in Major League Soccer: I’m in a situation at the moment where my contract finished in the summer after six fantastic years working for the FA and prior to that in the Premier League. I’m quite open-minded to any offers at this moment in time. With this break, I’ve had the opportunity to travel and come over to the states. I watched David (Beckham) play about a year and a half ago prepping for the Olympics and it was quite impressive with the setup and the professionalism. I would certainly be open-minded to it.

Watch the full interview here and catch FOX Soccer Daily tomorrow at 2:30 PM ET before the international friendly between England and Chile, live on FOX Sports 1 at 3:00 PM ET.

FOX Sports 1 Explores Bond Between Fallen MIT Police Officer, Sean Collier, and His Brother, Andrew

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fox-sports-1FOX SPORTS 1 EXPLORES THE BOND BETWEEN FALLEN MIT POLICE OFFICER, SEAN COLLIER, AND HIS BROTHER, ANDREW

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS MACHINIST CONTINUES ASKING CONGRESS FOR FEDERAL HOLIDAY HONORING FIRST RESPONDERS

BOSTON NATIVE DONNIE WAHLBERG NARRATES “COLLIER STRONG”

While Boston and much of the country celebrate the Boston Red Sox World Series championship this week, reflection simultaneously turns to the city’s “Boston Strong” resiliency following the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing.

Sean Collier was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) police officer killed April 18 in the aftermath of the marathon tragedy.  He was gunned down that evening while on duty in his patrol car — allegedly by the bombing suspects.

Sean’s brother, Andrew Collier, and his family recently sat down for their first in-depth, on-camera interview since the tragedy.  Andrew Collier is a machinist in the engine department of 10-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports.

Narrated by actor/singer and Boston native Donnie Wahlberg, the feature premieres Sunday, Nov. 3 at 1:00 PM ET on NASCAR RACEDAY on FOX Sports 1.  “Collier Strong” re-airs Sunday night on FOX SPORTS LIVE on FOX Sports 1 at 11:00 PM ET.

Andrew Collier has worked tirelessly since his brother’s death to lobby Congress to designate a federal holiday honoring America’s first responders, creating a petition toward this goal. For more information on Collier’s initiative, please visit www.change.org/firstresponders.

Wahlberg, currently starring on Blue Bloods and serving as an executive producer of Boston’s Finest, narrates the long-form feature, produced by Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Productions. Interviewed in the piece are Andrew Collier; Sean and Andrew’s sisters, Nicole Lynch and Jennifer Lemmerman; their stepsister, Jenn Rogers; Jeff Andrews of the Hendrick Motorsports engine department; MIT Police Department Patrol Sergeant David O’Connor; and Sean Collier’s auxiliary supervisor at the Somerville Police Department, Officer Bob Ankenbauer.

Jeff Gordon Reveals Opportunity That Few People Knew About – Not Even Rick Hendrick – on NASCAR Race Hub

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fox-sports-1GORDON ON WHAT RICK HENDRICK MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN: “…I HAD A POTENTIAL FORMULA ONE OFFER AT ONE TIME.”

Talks Candidly About Changing His Approach as He Grows Older

Charlotte, N.C. – Four-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon sat down with NASCAR RACE HUB host Danielle Trotta to talk about his career, and what big opportunity existed early on that car owner Rick Hendrick may not have known about.

Here is what Gordon had to say on Thursday’s (10/14) edition of the show.

Jeff Gordon on pursuing other forms of racing early in his career: “When I first started to come into the NASCAR Nationwide Series – I did both (sprint cars & stock cars) because I was still competing for championships in other series. Once I became more established in the Cup Series with (Rick) Hendrick, it really wasn’t something I thought about. I’ve always enjoyed all forms of racing, if I can get the opportunity and drive another car; have a new experience, like I did with the F1 car and the 24 Hours of Daytona. The one thing that went through my head that I don’t think Hendrick even knew about was that I had a potential Formula One offer at one time. But, it was going to race in lower series – maybe even IndyCar. I was established in Cup; very happy with where I was at, things were going extremely well and that was a whole career change for me, in a racing series I knew very little about from a driving stand point, I was always an oval track driver. But that conversation never happened with Hendrick, that was behind the scenes and I made the choice and the decision on my own. We were coming up on some contracts and I chose to stay with Hendrick and won the championship the next year. It was a good choice.”

Gordon’s response to former crew chief Ray Evernham’s claim that he may want a different feel (in the car) now: “I think that when he and I were together, I was so young and super aggressive. I knew so little about the cars; all I knew was whatever he said, ‘Yep. That’s right.’ Just go out there and drive the wheels off the car. It’s not that, all of a sudden, I’ve started to drive different – the competition is different. What edge we had over the competition is a lot different. I give Ray a lot of credit for that. Have I changed? Absolutely, I’m 42 years old now. I drive using my head a little bit more… a little bit too much at times. I think that’s what happens over time. When you are younger, you’re more aggressive. When your older, you think about when to be aggressive, when to be patient. And as you get older and older, you start to think about patience, and less about the aggressiveness.

On his children’s level of understanding: “For (daughter) Ella, she has a pretty good understanding being six. For (son) Leo, every day I come home and if I was testing, or if I had just went to the race shop, did you win? I love having them at the race track. That also brings a lot of pride, joy and motivation for me to go out there and represent my team, my family and be the best driver that I can be out there – and also try to go to victory lane more often.

BROOKLYN HOOPS Gets National Platform on FOX Sports 1

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fox-sports-1BROOKLYN HOOPS™ GETS NATIONAL PLATFORM ON FOX SPORTS 1

Barclays Center AND FOX Sports 1 align to promote and telecast BROOKLYN HOOPS™ college basketball

– FOX Sports 1 to air five college basketball games from Brooklyn –

BROOKLYN (October 2, 2013) – Barclays Center is teaming with FOX Sports 1 as part of the upcoming BROOKLYN HOOPS™ college basketball season, with television coverage beginning on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET when national powerhouse Kentucky faces Providence.

BROOKLYN HOOPS™ coverage on FOX Sports 1 will continue on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET when 2013 NCAA Tournament finalist Michigan plays Stanford to headline the 2nd annual BROOKLYN HOOPS™ Holiday Invitational presented by adidas.

The FOX Sports 1 telecast schedule from Barclays Center continues a week later on Saturday, Dec. 28 at 2:30 p.m. ET when St. John’s and Columbia tip-off in the first game of the 2nd annual BROOKLYN HOOPS™ Winter Festival presented by Honda, followed by Kansas State vs. Tulane at 5 p.m. ET, and Virginia Commonwealth University vs. Boston College at 7:30 p.m. ET.

FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network, debuted on Aug. 17 and is available in approximately 90 million homes, making it the biggest sports cable network launch in history, and one of the largest network launches ever.

“We’re extremely pleased to add these five terrific match-ups at Barclays Center to FOX Sports 1’s very robust college basketball schedule,” said Larry Jones, EVP, FOX Sports. “College basketball is a key component of FOX Sports 1’s programming from November through March, and we’re looking forward to televising these five games from one of the country’s newest, most impressive venues.”

“We are thrilled to have FOX Sports 1, the nation’s newest premier sports network, to build and telecast BROOKLYN HOOPS™ college basketball from Barclays Center,” said Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. “This relationship provides our BROOKLYN HOOPS™ college basketball platform with major national exposure. Additionally, with its top recruiting class and rabid fan base, Kentucky is the perfect team to launch our new partnership.”

Barclays Center’s college basketball franchise BROOKLYN HOOPS™ is presented by Ticketmaster. For tickets to all of Barclays Center’s college basketball games, please visit barclayscenter.com.

About FOX Sports 1

FOX Sports 1 is America’s new national multi-sport channel that launched on August 17 in approximately 90 million homes and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually.  The channel has several pillar sports: college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), USGA events including the U.S. Open (2015), soccer and UFC.  FOX SPORTS LIVE is FOX Sports 1’s flagship 24/7 news, opinion and highlights program, providing around the clock coverage through regularly scheduled programs, hourly updates and an information rich ticker.  Original programs include: FOX FOOTBALL DAILY; NASCAR RACE HUB; FOX SOCCER DAILY; CROWD GOES WILD, a new live sports entertainment talk show hosted by Regis Philbin; and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise.  FOX Sports GO, a new authenticated mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and the web, is coming soon and serves as the channel’s digital extension. The app offers more than 1,100 live games and events from cross FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, as well as scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis. For more information visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1.

 

About Barclays Center

Barclays Center opened on September 28, 2012, and is a major sports and entertainment venue in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Developed by Brooklyn-based real estate developer Forest City Ratner Companies, and designed by the award-winning architectural firms AECOM (www.aecom.com/architecture) and SHoP Architects (www.shoparc.com), Barclays Center has one of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multi-purpose arena, with unparalleled sightlines and first-class amenities. Barclays Center offers 17,732 seats for basketball, 15,813 for hockey, and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and has 101 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, four clubs, and 40/40 CLUB & Restaurant by American Express.

Barclays Center is hosting an extensive variety of events, including premier concerts, major professional boxing cards, top college basketball, family shows, the Brooklyn Nets and soon the New York Islanders.

Located atop one of the largest transportation hubs in New York City, Barclays Center is accessible by 11 subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and 11 bus lines.

For more information on Barclays Center, please visit www.barclayscenter.com.

~ Barclays Center ~

Moss, Urlacher, Long & Glazer React To Aldon Smith Suspension On Monday’s FOX Football Daily

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fox-sports-1From today’s edition of FOX FOOTBALL DAILY (@FFD) on FOX Sports 1, the hottest topic in the NFL, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith was addressed by host Curt Menefee, co-host Jay Glazer and analysts Randy Moss, Brian Urlacher and Howie Long.  On yesterday’s edition of the FOX NFL SUNDAY pregame show, Glazer was the first to report that Smith could be sent to rehab following yesterday’s game against the Colts.  Glazer added during today’s show that there is no definitive timetable on his return and that it is up to the 49ers whether to pay him while he is on the non-football injury list.

When asked by Menefee if Smith should have played, Glazer, Hall-of-Famer Long and future hall-of-famers Moss and Urlacher gave their opinions:

MOSS:  “I’m not sure this was or wasn’t a business decision.  Being there last year, I was very disappointed about how certain things were handled.  Demarcus Dobbs got into some trouble and the team gave him a one-game suspension.  Then, a similar situation happened with Aldon Smith and the team did not suspend him.  I love Aldon as a person and a player but what’s right is right and what’s fair is fair.  I’m wondering him going into rehab is really going to help him.  I hope it does and he doesn’t suffer a relapse.  I really want what is best for him and now I hope the leaders of this team, Patrick Willis and Justin Smith can keep this team together, but when you treat a kid like a kid, you get kid results and when you treat a man like a man, you get man results. After being asked by Glazer if the 49ers should have been more sensitive to the matter, Moss added, “Yes.  Especially after (former 49ers tight end) Delanie Walker (now with the Tennessee Titans) lost his aunt and uncle to a drunk driver right after the Super Bowl.”

LONG:  “When did they realize he needed help?  My big issue is when you make this determination that he needs help then let him come to the game and put him on the sidelines in street clothes until he goes to the treatment facility.  That is the right thing to do.  It’s none of my business what his problems are but I really hope that Aldon Smith is really interested to finding a solution to those problems.”

URLACHER:  “7AM on a Friday morning when you have a game on Sunday? This doesn’t make any sense.  I don’t know who he’s hanging out with but he’s a grown man and it’s his job to be at work, be on time and do things the right way.”

GLAZER:  “This sends the message that you care more about football than anything else.  Thank God this guy didn’t kill someone.”

Catch FOX FOOTBALL DAILY (@FFD) every weeknight at 6:00 PM ET on FOX Sports 1.

Driven: A Race Without Boundaries Premieres Sunday on FOX Sports 1

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fox-sports-1Fast-Paced Presentation Hosted by International TV Star Tiff Needell Premieres on FOX Sports 1 Sunday, Sept. 22 at 5:00 PM ET

Los Angeles – FOX Sports 1 announced today the premiere of DRIVEN: A RACE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES, a one-hour special shot at four iconic locations and hosted by international television star Tiff Needell (@tiff_tv) starting Sunday, Sept. 22 at 5:00 PM ET.

The competition unfolded at some of the world’s most famous race venues – Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, Nevada’s Mint 400 Desert Course just outside Las Vegas, Colorado’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the high banks of Daytona International Speedway – as professional racers Tommy Kendall (@TommyKendall11) and Rhys Millen (@RhysMillen) battled it out in fully redesigned Range Rover Sports.

“When you get two competitors together like Rhys and I, it can get pretty intense,” said Kendall, a four-time Trans-Am Series champion. “There is a reason why these race courses are so iconic. They are tough to conquer in any format or race machine, let alone a factory SUV without any modification. A win at these courses means something.”

Every round is unique; as specially designed race courses were integrated into these historic venues, creating an environment that fully challenges both vehicle and driver. Centering on the 2014 Range Rover Sport, with its 510-horsepower, supercharged V8 engine and its lighter aluminum body, both Kendall and Millen take this machine to its limit.

“Having been a long-time Land Rover owner, I can tell you this is the best Range Rover Sport they have ever built,” Millen said. “You can take it to the limits in high-stress situations, and it has the feel and balance of a car. Believe me; nothing is spared in the performance department.”

“Land Rover literally threw us the keys and got out of the way,” said FOX Sports VP of Motorsports Bobby Akin. “Originally, we were talking with them about doing a simple TEST DRIVE program, but they challenged us to come up with something a little grander in scale … this grand slam of iconic American racing venues was the result and the racing between Tommy and Rhys is intense.”

Needell, who was formerly a co-host of UK’s popular Top Gear series, is also an accomplished racer as well, competing in Formula One and sports car racing, including a third overall finish in the Le Mans 24 and Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Kendall currently competes in the American Le Mans Series, driving one of Dodge’s SRT Viper GTS-R factory entries, and is one of the sport’s most popular drivers. Like Needell, Kendall is also a television personality, hosting FOX Sports 1’s TEST DRIVE, and is a race analyst for various series.

He also won two International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTU championships and competed in the prestigious International Race of Champions (IROC) for six seasons.

New Zealand native Millen is a current RallyCross World Championship competitor and a multi-time Drifting World Champion. The Southern California resident is the son of the legendary Rod Millen, and has followed in his footsteps, recently conquering the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, setting multiple records in the Time Attack category.

For more information on FOX Sports 1, please visit: HERE and follow us on Twitter at @FOXSports1 and @FOXSportsPR.

 

–www.FOXSPORTS.com–

FOX Sports 1 and MLB Productions Collaborate For “Mission October”

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fox-sports-1WEEKLY SERIES FEATURING BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS THROUGHOUT POSTSEASON RACES

MISSION OCTOBER Debuts Monday, August 26, at 7:30 p.m. ET

Featuring the First-Place Pittsburgh Pirates

Major League Baseball Productions and FOX Sports today announced they will collaborate on a new series titled Mission October, with the first of eight episodes debuting Monday, August 26, at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1. The first seven episodes will be 30 minutes in length and air on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. ET. The final episode will be one hour in length and air on the Monday following the conclusion of the World Series.

Mission October each week will give baseball fans an exclusive look behind the scenes with a specific team fighting to reach the Postseason and win the World Series, while also featuring the quickest turnaround of any show MLB Productions has ever created. Camera crews will follow players, coaches and front office personnel over the course of a weekend series, and each show will be produced and edited as the weekend series unfolds, allowing for episodes to air on Monday evenings each week. The debut episode will feature the rejuvenated Pittsburgh Pirates, as they battle the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants and seek to reach the Postseason for the first time in 21 years. The teams featured in subsequent episodes will be determined each week as the Postseason races and series develop.

“Our fans crave behind the scenes access to their favorite stars, and they want to see it right away. Mission October satisfies both of those desires, and we know MLB Productions is up to the task of this extremely quick editing schedule,” said Chris Tully, Senior Vice President, Broadcasting, Major League Baseball. “We’re thrilled to be working with Fox Sports 1 on this series, which will provide a unique glimpse each week inside the inner workings of our Clubs during this most critical time of the season.”

“This is what the Pennant race is all about. Fighting tooth and nail to get the opportunity to play in October. It’s a privilege that MLB and the players have let our viewers be this close to the action at this most crucial and exciting time of the season. You will really get to see the race for October from the inside out,” said Michael Bloom, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Fox Sports 1.

About FOX Sports 1

FOX Sports 1 is a new national 24-hour multi-sport channel launching on August 17 and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has eight pillar sports: college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), USGA events including the U.S. Open (2015), soccer and UFC. Starting in 2014, select MLB Postseason games as well as regular season games are coming to the channel. FOX Sports GO, a groundbreaking authenticated mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and the web, serves as the channel’s digital extension. The app offers more than 1,100 live games and events from cross FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, as well as scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis. For more information visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1.

About Major League Baseball Productions

Major League Baseball Productions is the Emmy® award-winning television and video production division of Major League Baseball and the official video archivists of the game. With unparalleled access to the Clubs and their players, Major League Baseball Productions produces original programming for growing audiences worldwide through its network specials, exclusive home videos, commercials and other specialty programming. For more information on Major League Baseball Productions, log on to www.MLBProductions.com.

# # #

FOX Sports 1 Posts Strong Day 1

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fox-sports-1FOX SPORTS 1 & FOX SPORTS 2

JOIN SPORTS TELEVISION UNIVERSE

UFC Takes Center Stage in Prime Time as FOX Sports 1 Posts Strong Day 1

Los Angeles – FOX Sports 1 launched yesterday in approximately 90-million homes.  Powered by 11.5 hours of live NASCAR and UFC programming, plus three hours of the inaugural editions of FOX SPORTS LIVE, FOX Sports 1 posted strong audience figures on its first day of operation, according to fast national information released by Nielsen Media Research.

FOX Sports 1, driven by UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN, posted an average audience of 1.71 million viewers in prime time (8:00-11:00 PM ET), a more than 10-fold increase compared to that which SPEED, FOX Soccer and FUEL TV combined to deliver on the comparable night a year ago (141,000). Among younger demographics the comparisons are even more significant. FOX Sports 1 viewership was over 25 times greater than SPEED/FOX Soccer/FUEL TV among both Adults 18-49 and Men 18-49, and 40 times greater among Adults 18-34 and M18-34. All ratings are coverage area nationals, live plus same day stream.

“We must congratulate the UFC for putting together a terrific event for the launch of FOX Sports 1 that fans were obviously very excited to watch,” said Bill Wanger, Executive Vice President, Programming and Research, FOX Sports.  “The prelims and main events were action-packed, and the production quality and new camera angles gave fans a totally new perspective – hats off to the UFC and its incredibly loyal fan base for making our first night such a complete success.”

FOX Sports 1 averaged a 1.33 household rating last night in prime time, and ratings were particularly strong among younger demographics.  Remarkably, FOX Sports 1 out-rated all four major broadcast networks among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Men 18-49, and Men 18-34 based on impressions within each demo.

FOX Sports 1’s first ever primetime event, UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN, averaged a 1.38 and beat the average of the eight UFC on FX Fight Nights by +49% in rating (1.38 vs. 0.93) and +38% in viewership (1.78 million vs. 1.29 million).  FOX Sports 1’s first UFC FIGHT NIGHT also beat seven of those eight FX Fight Nights individually.  Among younger demographics, last night’s FOX Sports 1 card easily beat the average of FX’s primetime UFC cards by +50% in viewership among Men 18-49 (994K vs. 663K) and +44% higher among Men 18-34 (492K vs. 342K).

The inaugural airing of FOX SPORTS LIVE improved greatly over SPEED’s performance in the time period. Compared to SPEED’s third quarter of 2012 time period average FOX SPORTS LIVE improved by +137% among Total Viewers (476K vs. 201K), and an immense +1384% over SPEED’s Men 18-34 time period performance (163K vs. 11K).

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN was the most socially-active English-language show in all of television yesterday, with 46,520 commenters, producing 124,635 Tweets, based on the number of commenters not Tweets.  For the entire day, FOX Sports 1 was the third-most socially active English-language network (52,209), as ranked by number of unique commenters after NFL Network (116,253 unique commenters) and FOX Broadcast (104,365).

– FOX Sports 1 –

FOX Sports 1 to Launch Across All Major Distributors

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fox-sports-1NEW NATIONAL SPORTS CHANNEL DEBUTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 

Fox’s new national sports network, FOX Sports 1, will debut on Saturday, August 17th, with every major distributor on board, making this the biggest sports cable network launch in history, and one of the largest network launches ever.  The announcement was made by Mike Hopkins, President, Distribution, Fox Networks.

“We are thrilled that virtually all pay-television customers across America will have access to FOX Sports 1,” said Mr. Hopkins.  “This network launch is a major milestone for Fox and will alter the sports television landscape.  We are grateful to our distribution partners for making this all possible.”

At the outset, FOX Sports 1 boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually.  A robust schedule of live events forms the backbone of FOX Sports 1’s programming from Day 1, with college basketball, college football, NASCAR, soccer, boxing and UFC all on tap between launch and year’s end.  In fact, the schedule on August 17th features live events morning, noon and night including a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Michigan and UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SHOGUN VS. SONNEN in prime time.  In 2014, FOX Sport’s new rights agreement with MLB takes effect, bringing regular and postseason games to FOX Sports 1.

Viewers can learn where to find FOX Sports 1 on their system by visiting FOXSports1.com.