FOX Announces U.S. WNT FIFA Women’s World Cup TV Schedule
FOX Announces U.S. WNT FIFA Women’s World Cup TV Schedule
CHICAGO (May 20, 2015) – FOX Sports today announced its 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup broadcast schedule, which will feature two of the three U.S. Women’s National Team group-stage games live on FOX and the third live on FOX Sports 1. All 52 of the tournament’s games will be broadcast live from six cities across Canada between June 6 and July 5 on FOX, FOX Sports 1, and FOX Sports 2.
An unprecedented 16 matches will be broadcast live on FOX and the 2015 event marks the first time since 2003 that any FIFA Women’s World Cup matches are scheduled for over-the-air broadcast in the U.S. The WNT’s group stage games against Sweden on Friday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET, and Nigeria on Tuesday, June 16 at 8 p.m. ET will both air on FOX. The USA’s opening match against Australia on June 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET will air on FOX Sports 1.
U.S. WNT FIFA Women's Word Cup FOX Broadcast Schedule
Date Time Matchup FOX Network
June 8, 2015 7:30 p.m. ET WNT vs. AUS FOX Sports 1
June 12, 2015 8 p.m. ET WNT vs. SWE FOX
June 16, 2015 8 p.m. ET WNT vs. NGA FOX
Five of the 16 matches committed to air on FOX will be broadcast in primetime, including one semifinal, the third place match on July 4 and the final on July 5. FOX Sports 1 will carry 29 matches, including all eight in the round of 16, two quarterfinals and one semifinal. The remaining seven games are slated for FOX Sports 2.
Combining games with anticipated pregame, postgame and complementary programming, FOX Sports is expected to provide almost 200 hours of World Cup-Coverage averaging between six and seven hours a day over the month-long tournament.
Calling FOX Sports’ coverage of the 52 matches are Glenn Davis & Christine Latham; JP Dellacamera, Cat Whitehill & Tony DiCicco; Jenn Hildreth & Kyndra de St. Aubin; Justin Kutcher & Aly Wagner; and John Strong & Danielle Slaton. Dellacamera, Whitehill and DiCicco have been assigned to the three U.S. games in the group stage. Additionally, former USWNT player Angela Hucles will provide game analysis.
Complementing FOX Sports’ extensive live match coverage all month is studio programming originating from its specially-constructed set located at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver. ‘FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TODAY’ will provide pre-match, halftime, post-match and bridge show coverage, while ‘FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TONIGHT’ will offer the definitive last word on the day’s action. Most matches are to be preceded by a 60-minute edition of ‘FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TODAY,’ though there are occasional 30- and 90-minute shows. Leading-off FOX Sports’ FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™ coverage is FIFA Women’s World Cup Special: a live one-hour preview show airing on the eve of match play, Friday, June 5 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Besides FOX Sports’ Women’s World Cup-specific programs, ample tournament coverage is planned for daily viewing on FOX Sports 1’s signature news programs ‘AMERICA’S PREGAME’ and ‘FOX SPORTS LIVE’.
Kate Abdo and Rob Stone share anchor duties for FOX Sports’ studio coverage from Vancouver and are joined analysts Monica Gonzalez, Ariane Hingst, Alexi Lalas, Christine Latham, Heather Mitts, Leslie Osborne, Kelly Smith, Eric Wynalda and Dr. Joe Machnik. In addition to her match analysis, Hucles also contributes to studio coverage.
Jenny Taft, Julie Stewart-Binks and Grant Wahl serve as reporters during the four-week event. Taft has been assigned the major role of being embedded with the U.S. Women’s National Team, providing in-depth reports, breaking news and features on the squad throughout the tournament as she has since World Cup Qualifying. Stewart-Binks, a native Canadian, serves as a roving reporter, and is expected to report from at least 11 different games in four different cities during the group stage. Wahl serves as correspondent-at-large, covering the wide-array of stories that develop naturally during a month-long tournament.
On the digital front, besides all matches and studio programs being streamed live on FOX Sports GO, the critically-acclaimed mobile app also offers three alternate streams during the tournament. The first, Match 360, offers exclusive backstage access to the walk players take from locker room to field and pregame warm-ups before every game, in-progress highlights throughout matches and post-match press conferences. A second feed offers a non-stop in-game view from the tactical cameras showing all 22 players, while the third feed comes directly from cable-cam as it flies above the field during play. The Tactical Cam feed is available for 41 of the 52 matches, while the Cable Cam feed is available for 23. Finally, FOX Sports Digital video offers extended versions of more than 60 player profiles and team features produced specifically for FOX Sports’ coverage of the 2015 Women’s World Cup.