FOX soccer coverage

FOX as a channel changed over the last decade. At one point, it was a major soccer destination. Now, due to a number of different reasons, it is no longer a dominant force on the soccer stage for broadcasting in the U.S.

First off, FOX is one of the major networks in the United States. The channel rivals ABC, NBC and CBS as part of the ‘big four’ TV networks in the country. Therefore, FOX is one of the channels available practically anywhere there is TV. In fact, you can simply watch it with an antenna, as it is an over-the-air channel.

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Still, most people who have a cable, satellite or streaming TV option get the channel. Traditionally speaking, the channel falls early on your channel guide. Therefore, subscribers to DirecTV, DISH, fuboTV, Vidgo, YouTube TV, Hulu and various cable providers get access to the channel.

FOX is an English-language channel. Other parts of the network have Spanish-language broadcasts, but this channel is solely English.

Do not expect to turn on the channel and expect to see soccer. For one, news and related programs dominate the scheduling for the channel. Most days, the TV lineup consists of local programming then local newscasts. However, as is the case with most networks, there are often sports. Unfortunately, soccer falls down the pecking order for FOX, even though this was not always the case. Therefore, American football runs on the weekends with multiple games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, each.

Soccer on FOX

As stated before, the FOX channel is not the same beast it used to be in terms of soccer coverage. For instance, FOX held the rights of the Premier League in the United States until 2013. The channel lost the Bundesliga rights to ESPN at the end of the 2019/20 season. Now, the channel does not carry any major European soccer leagues.

It is not all doom and gloom for those that enjoy FOX’s soccer coverage. The channel now focuses on the domestic game, although that is not apparent based on lack of promotion in some regards. The channel broadcasts MLS games. Moreover, there will be some MLS Cup playoff games each season until their rights expire at the end of the 2022 season.

The channel also frequently holds United States Men’s National Team games. Usually, these are World Cup Qualifiers, split with ESPN and CBS for which channel distributes the game.

READ MORE: Ranking the best soccer TV channels in the United States.

Upcoming Matches on FOX:

Perhaps the channel believes they do not need any more leagues. After all, it does hold the rights for the biggest tournament in the world, the World Cup. FOX signed an agreement with FIFA to be the official broadcaster in the United States for the Women’s and Men’s World Cup. That started in 2015, with three women’s tournaments and three men’s tournaments featuring on the channel. Notably, that includes the 2026 World Cup located in North America.

The only issue is that FOX also has the rights to a number of other FIFA competitions, but these do not make it to the main channel. Oftentimes, these go to FS1 or other services provided by FOX. Additionally, there is little promotion for these competitions.