Foxtels Football Coverage

[Paolo]

Fox Sports Gets Footy Facelift
Aidan Ormond
Jul 30 2008 13:07

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Bosnich, virtual replays, extended A-League and Socceroos coverage and a new review show headline Fox Sports' pumped-up football coverage this season.

For A-League viewers, Foxtel's sports channel's coverage will now feature post-game shows to top and tail matches.

"Whereas before you had two hours of A-League football now you'll have three hours with half an hour before and half an hour after," Fox Sports football boss Murray Shaw told au.fourfourtwo.com.

The coverage will also include virtual replays with motion graphics similar to a PlayStation taking an interactive look at key incidents in games from different angles, like seeing the play from a referee's view or a player in question's angle to help understand and analyse what happened.

"It'll be very interactive," said Shaw. And there'll be a fresh coat of paint for the coverage with new graphics while former Savage Garden musician - and big football fan - Daniel Jones has composed new music to go with the programme's presentation.

As for the football programs, "Total Football" - Fox Sports Thursday night preview show - is now gone after three seasons on air.

It will be replaced by a new more casual Tuesday night offering called "Fox Sports FC".

"It'll be more commonly referred to as "The Club" as in join us tonight in the club," adds Shaw. "We've found that by Thursday night, everyone's been through the major issues from the previous weekend.

"Hopefully now, on a Tuesday night, we can have some good detailed analysis of the incidents and happenings not only in the A-League and also the English Premier League. It's a review show."

Andy Harper will continue to host with a rotating group of panelists. "We'll get rid of the desks and suits and have a more casual chat about what happened on the weekend. Just more casual."

Shaw was keen to point out that the level of analysis will ramp up a notch as "people are looking for than just the obvious after three years of the A-League. More intellectual debate - we want to break things down and explain why things have happened."

The show hopes to cross to England regularly to draw analysis from personalities commenting on the headlines of the day. This would also include a wrap-up of how European-based Australians are doing. Controversial English referee Graham Poll is one possibility for this part of the show.

Much of this ramped up coverage for Fox Sports football is driven by exceptional ratings for the code. The Socceroos' Asian Cup match against Japan was the highest ratings program ever on pay-TV.

Shaw predicted that the Socceroos live World Cup qualifier blockbuster with Japan in Saitama next February 11 would be another huge ratings event. "With an 8.20pm local kick off time, it's primetime in front of 65,000 screaming Japanese.

"The prospect of a spot in the World Cup at a time when the A-League finals are on and with all the big names back? Can you imagine that? It's scary what it could do [in the ratings]."

Fox Sports will also broadcast every match from both round four AFC World Cup qualifying groups, with all Socceroos matches live and with extended coverage on game day similar to the A-League.

And in the Asian Champions League, coverage includes Adelaide United's quarter-final clash with Kashima Antlers live this September.

The semis and final can also be seen on Fox Sports as well as live coverage of ACL 2009 - which will feature an expanded tournament including two teams going through from the group stages and a round of 16 before the quarter finals.

The English Premier League continues to be enormously popular with Fox Sports continuing its extensive, interactive coverage. "Viewers choice will be back. And we're in negotiations with Mark Bosnich to join us in the studio if he's in Australia."

Shaw added: "All the talk from fans is 'give me more, more more'. Fortunately we have the vehicle to do that."

Better logo then all a-league clubs

 

[loyalist]

fox sports fc = fox sports football channel
just planning for the future imo

 

[Gav...]

cant they get rid of harper aswell as total football

 

[northernspirit]

"more intellectual debate"
i guess that means robbie slater got the boot

 

[adz]

great logo - nice colours ;D

 

[Marinerchick]

yer shame haprer is still there dont they have a d**khead radar at fox sports studios ???

 

[scottmac]

yer shame haprer is still there dont they have a d**khead radar at fox sports studios ???

He is a host and is there for his hosting abilities(not sure if abilities is the right word).
Who would replace him, keeping in mind they have to be a host.
My vote would be Mel off the news channel.

 

[northernspirit]

simon hill is more than capable of hosting it

 

[fedelta]

yer shame haprer is still there dont they have a d**khead radar at fox sports studios ???

My vote would be Mel off the news channel.

 

[Tassiemariner]

*searches for that thread we had a while back with alot of pics of Mel*

 

[Arabmariner]

Forget about Harper and Slater for a minute and just digest how much football coverage we are getting.
And of course there's Setanta as well! :

I wonder whats on FTA tv at the same time as all this football.

 

[Tassiemariner]

FTA exists??

 

[midfielder]

"more intellectual debate"
i guess that means robbie slater got the boot

Has to go ..........lol

 

[midfielder]

simon hill is more than capable of hosting it

Simon is brillant as a host I still remember him being the host when SBS had the Ashes test matches from England a few years back did a great job of being the host.

 

[northernspirit]

simon is a quality broadcaster, and i like the way he doesnt take shit from any of the mainstream anti football media too

 

[Arabmariner]

simon is a quality broadcaster, and i like the way he doesnt take shit from any of the mainstream anti football media too

LOL that's right.....remember him telling the no neck boofheads on "the back page" that he could "smell the fear".

 

[northernspirit]

prime example

 

[serious14]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah - put it on free-to-air, they're way better.........

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  Foxtel for the EPIC win!!!!  ;D

 

[fedelta]

Get Craig Foster to host it.

 

[northernspirit]

frank farina would be a good host for anyone suffering insomnia