New MLS Club Atlanta United FC Finds RSN Home With Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Southeast
Exclusive rights deal kicks off with start of 2017 season next month
Story Highlights
With the kickoff to the Major League Soccer season just weeks away, one of the league’s newest expansion clubs, Atlanta United FC, has struck a regional television rights agreement with Fox Sports Regional Networks. Beginning with the club’s inaugural 2017 campaign, all Atlanta United matches not televised nationally televised on Fox, FS1, or ESPN will will air on Fox Sports South or FOX Sports Southeast.
The Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southwest slate of 19 games in the 2017 season will begin on Saturday, April 8, at 7:00 p.m when Atlanta United visits Toronto FC. FOX and FS1 will nationally televise five Atlanta United matches, including its inaugural game on Sunday, March 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET against New York Red Bulls (FS1).
“Atlanta United is an exciting addition to our networks’ regional programming mix of Atlanta Braves, Hawks, Dream and Georgia Tech games,” said FOX Sports South general manager and senior vice president Jeff Genthner. “We are honored to be the regional television home of Atlanta United in their inaugural season and look forward to bringing these games to soccer fans across the Southeast by combining the dynamic network production quality of FOX Sports with the far-reaching distribution and promotional muscle of Atlanta-based FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast.”
According to Fox, both networks reach approximately 10 million homes across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. A Spanish feed of each telecast will be made available.
“We are very pleased to announce FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast as our exclusive television rights holder,” said Atlanta United President Darren Eales. “Through this partnership, Atlanta United games will reach a broad audience across the Southeast, and will allow us to reach new fans in the region. The FOX Sports Regional Networks are committed to high quality sports coverage and we look forward to collaborating on innovative content for our inaugural season and beyond.”
Matches and team-related programming televised on a FOX network will also be available on FOX Sports GO.
On the programming end, Fox Sports Regional Networks has also committed to creating a series of supplementary programming. Each match will feature Atlanta United LIVE!, a pre-game and post-game show of 30 minutes and – beginning April 4, the networks will debut Atlanta United: Match Week, an exclusive weekly series that will deliver insider access to the club with interviews and profiles of players and coaches. On Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET and 11:00 p.m. ET, FOX Sports Southeast will premiere Atlanta United: Unite and Conquer, a preseason all-access special chronicling the evolution of the franchise.
