Rumor: Ligue Un and the Championship Coming to Fox Soccer Plus

Fox Soccer Plus will feature Ligue Un and the Coca-Cola Championship as two of the rights it’s acquiring from Setanta Sports, according to a rumor from an industry insider.

The rumor is that the Championship and Ligue Un will be shown on Fox Soccer Plus in addition to the Premier League, FA Cup, Serie A and Champions League. A decision has yet to be finalized whether some Scottish Premier League and Russian Premier League matches will be shown on Fox Soccer Plus, although it seems doubtful as of press time.

That means that with Setanta US being acquired by Fox Soccer Channel and becoming Fox Soccer Plus, we will probably see the rights for the following leagues, cups and sports no longer available on US television (other than pay-per-view): Scottish FA Cup, Russian Premier League, CIS Cup, rugby, gaelic football and hurling. If so, the dark days I wrote about for some sports fans will come true on and after March 1.

If the rumor is true, the inclusion of Ligue Un and the Coca-Cola Championship on Fox Soccer Plus will be a smart move. The technically gifted and wide-open league in France is a joy to watch, while the Championship serves up some tasty matches featuring historic English clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United, Ipswich Town, Queens Park Rangers, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Preston, Watford, West Bromwich Albion and others. Plus, next season, the Championship will feature Leeds United if they get promoted from League One.