Fox Soccer Channel Scores Ratings Increases Across the Board During First Year-to-Year Comparisons

LOS ANGELES, Nov 02, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fox Soccer Channel has scored rating and audience increases across all network programming and key demographics during its first year as a Nielsen rated channel, it was announced today.

Month-to-month comparisons from Sept. 29-Oct. 26, 2008 vs. Sept. 28-Oct. 25, 2009 demonstrate significant increases in total day viewers, English Barclays Premier League and Italian Serie A match telecasts as well as ancillary and news programming. Fox Soccer Channel demonstrated a 125% average audience increase (27,000 vs. 12,000) in total day viewers in Oct. 2009 compared to Oct. 2008, while in the men 18-49 demo the same measurement is up 200% (15,000 vs. 5,000).

"These ratings for Fox Soccer Channel prove that our network delivers a large, attractive audience, particularly in the male 18-49 demographic," said David Sternberg, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Fox Soccer Channel.

"With the addition of UEFA Champions League mid-year and the continuation of the Barclays Premier League, we look forward to further growth opportunities and ways to connect our viewers with the beautiful game." Fox Soccer Channel has posted growth in each of the key leagues on the network over the past year. Barclays Premier League live and first-run matches averaged a 100% rating boost at 0.2 over a 0.1 in 2008, with impressions hitting a 69% increase at 142,000 total viewers per match in 2009 over 84,000 in 2008.

Most recently, the Liverpool vs. Manchester United match on Sunday Oct. 25 was the fourth-highest rated ad-supported cable program among M18-49 (0.7), and the third-highest rated ad-supported cable program in the M25-54 (0.8) demo during the Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET slot.

Serie A live and first-run matches are up 48% in total impressions with a 49,000 average vs. 33,000 in 2008. Major League Soccer audiences are up 89%, averaging 51,000 viewers last month vs. 27,000 over the same period in 2008.

Fox Soccer Channel news programming also saw significant growth, particularly in the 10 p.m. ET edition of Fox Soccer Report which is up 142% in impressions from 12,000 to 29,000 in 2009. Sky Sports News at 7 p.m. ET is up 350% from 8,000 to 36,000, and 600% in its 12 p.m. time slot, 21,000 vs. 3,000. Even the 1 a.m. ET telecast of Fox Soccer Report is up from an average audience of 8,000 last year to 13,000 in 2009, a 63% boost.

Fox Soccer Channel ancillary programming showed strong increases, as Super Sunday + is up 252% from 21,000 to 74,000 impressions in 2009 to hit a 0.1 rating, while Fox Football Fone-In saw a 108% gain from 12,000 to 25,000 average viewers.

Source: Nielsen Media Research, dates as above, qualifications furnished upon request About Fox Soccer Channel Fox Soccer Channel offers the most comprehensive coverage of world-class soccer available in the United States, including England's Barclays Premier League, Italy's Serie A, Major League Soccer, Women's Professional Soccer, the Argentine First Division and the Australian Hyundai A-League, as well as such global tournaments as the English FA Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, CONCACAF Champions League(TM) and 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) qualifiers. Fox Soccer Channel serves as the primary U.S. television destination for the UEFA Champions League, with additional coverage on a number of other Fox-affiliated networks. The Official Broadcast Partner of the United States Youth Soccer Association, Fox Soccer Channel also televises the United Soccer Leagues and NCAA Division I college men's and women's soccer. The Nielsen-rated channel reaches more than 34 million cable and satellite households nationwide.

Fox Soccer Channel is one of 28 national and regional programming networks within Fox Networks Group, an operating unit of the News Corporation (NYSE:NWS).

These broadcast, cable, satellite and telephony delivered networks reach more than half a billion U.S. television homes, and represent one of the media industry's most diverse collections of programming operations. Fox Networks Group consists of FOX Sports, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Cable Networks and Fox Networks Engineering & Operations. For more information, visit America's most visited online soccer destination at foxsoccer.com.

SOURCE: Fox Soccer Channel CONTACT: mPRm Public Relations, Chelsea Hettrick, 323-933-3399 ext.4261 [e-mail] or Fox Soccer Channel Ben Alkaly, 310-444-8642 [e-mail] Copyright Business Wire 2009 -0- KEYWORD: United States

North America

California INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Entertainment

Soccer

TV and Radio

Sports SUBJECT CODE: Product/Service