The same day Fox Sports officially announced the launch of Fox Sports 1, the network confirmed interest in both the NBA and additional NFL rights.
Fox Sports EVP Bill Wanger said Tuesday that Fox Sports “is already eying rights” to the NBA, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times. The NBA’s current television contracts with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and Time Warner (TNT) expire at the end of the 2015-16 season.
The NBA is the highest-profile sports property up for bid between now and the twenties. FOX is the only major network to have never televised NBA games, and the NBA is the only major league FOX has never televised.
Wanger also indicated that FOX is “ready to pounce” in the event that the NFL creates an additional package of games.
Beyond the NBA and NFL, Fox Sports co-president Eric Shanks mentioned tennis’ U.S. Open and the Big Ten college sports conference as “appealing properties whose contracts expire in the next several years” (AP, 3/3). FOX bid on rights to Wimbledon in 2011, and News Corporation is the parent company of Big Ten Network.
(Tuesday’s news from The Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press)
