<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>
FOX is on the verge of acquiring the European Championship rights in the United States for the 2024 and 2028 competitions, <a href="https:\/\/www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/en/SB-Blogs/Newsletter-Media/2021/10/18" rel="noopener" target="_blank">according to Sports Business Journal</a>. Currently, ESPN broadcasts the quadrennial event. In fact, ESPN broadcasted each Euros since 2008. Therefore, for ESPN, the rights package is something of a commodity.
Moreover, the acquisition of the European Championship rights would allow FOX to also air the qualifiers&nbsp;and&nbsp;the UEFA Nations League. The Nations League is actually a different competition altogether, but they do feature in the same media package.
As stated previously, ESPN currently holds the rights to all the competitions FOX will receive. The Euros are a mainstay on the main ESPN channel. ESPN often sent a reporters or an entire studio crew to European nations to cover the event.
Designated <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/06/24/espn-commentators-for-euro-2020-round-of-16-matches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commentary crews</a>, pregame and postgame discussions for each game and other forms of commentary showed the tournament’s importance to the channel.
Now, coverage seems to be heading to FOX.
<h3>European Championship rights joins other coverage on FOX</h3>
As of now, much of the <a href="https:\/\/soccertvblog.com/usa-tv-links/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soccer content on FOX</a> is domestic to the United States. A number of MLS games, USMNT and USWNT games and CONCACAF competitions air on FOX.
However, the prized possession for FOX is the World Cup. In 2011, FOX bought the rights to the world’s biggest tournament for <a href="https:\/\/www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2014/06/09/american-world-cup-rights-fees-soar-along-with-viewership/?sh=5e10489c2d01" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$425 million</a>, a steep increase from what ESPN dished out for the prior tournaments.
Unfortunately, as of press time, there is no information available regarding the price FOX will be paying for the European Championship rights. But, we know ESPN paid roughly $115 million for just Euro 2020. Therefore, it is no surprise that UEFA sought in excess of $300 million to broadcast the 2024 and 2028 tournaments.
So, let’s break down what FOX’s soccer repertoire includes. With the anticipated inclusion of the European Championship rights, it seems FOX holds the power to most of the major tournaments over the next eight years.
FOX will broadcast the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the 2025 Gold Cup, and the 2024 Copa America. Evidently, much of the international landscape runs through FOX in the United States.
There were a number of other entities in the running to acquire the rights to the Euros. For one, ESPN surely desired to hold on to the rights. CBS and Paramount+ have a growing footprint in the soccer broadcasting world. Finally, NBC and Peacock surely had their hat in the ring at some point.
Regardless, the deal is a huge win for FOX. Now, at least in the United States, the channel is the must-have location to watch international soccer competitions.
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<div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;"><a style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" title="World Soccer Talk Podcast" href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Soccer Talk Podcast</a> · <a style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" title="ESPN discusses its Euro 2020 TV coverage" href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk/espn-discusses-its-euro-2020-tv-coverage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN discusses its Euro 2020 TV coverage</a></div>
<h3>Other rights and streaming</h3>
Like ESPN, CBS and NBC, FOX has a direct-to-consumer streaming service via <a href="https:\/\/www.worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/channels/tubi-2">Tubi</a>. <a href="https:\/\/go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">ESPN+</a>, <a href="https:\/\/paramountplus.qflm.net/c/330866/1007330/3065" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Paramount+</a> and <a href="https:\/\/imp.i305175.net/DV3NWa" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Peacock</a> now hold rights themselves. 
With FOX aiming to grow Tubi into a more robust streaming service that offers sports, this explains FOX’s foray into the international game. With the Premier League and MLS being the only major leagues with rights up for grabs, FOX is among the broadcasters bidding for those American media rights too.

FOX is expanding their international soccer footprint by acquiring the European Championship rights for 2024 and 2028 in the United States.

FOX on verge of acquiring European Championship rights - World Soccer Talk

FOX on verge of acquiring European Championship rights

<div id="attachment_345473" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-345473" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-345473" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210918_WST_345357_Clock-End-600x400.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=400" alt="kickoff times" width="600" height="400" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Clock-End.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div>The famous clock from Highbury, now at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, dominates the stadium’s roof.</div>
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As Americans, it is a habit for us to wake up, check the kickoff times, and begin watching soccer. For many of us, weekends serve a primary purpose of watching the beautiful game.
Depending on one’s passion and commitment to watching soccer, entire days are occupied by the sport. However, there are undeniably fans of the game who stop watching as the day goes on.
There are a number of reasons for this. For one, they may have a certain league or team that they follow without much interest in the others. Then, they may only have access to a certain set of streaming services. With the current makeup of how to watch soccer in the U.S., multiple paid-subscriptions are necessary. Finally, certain kickoff times may turn viewers away.
In the United States, soccer is not the most followed sport. Coincidentally, much of the soccer season shares viewership dates with American football. On Saturdays, college football has kickoff times starting at noon and lasting for the entire day. Each Sunday, at least seven NFL games start at 1 p.m. ET before five others follow in the afternoon and evening.
For a number of reasons, some leagues flourish in the U.S. TV market, others falter compared to their European coverage.
Differing kickoff times contribute to this discrepancy when looking from league to league.
<h3>Kickoff Times from throughout the world’s game</h3>
For this analysis, we will use the U.S. Eastern Time equivalent for the European soccer start times.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-345466 alignright" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210918_WST_345357_Premier-League-Kickoff.webp&amp;width=259&amp;height=194" alt="" width="259" height="194" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Premier-League-Kickoff.jpg 259w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Premier-League-Kickoff-150x112.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px"></figure></div>
The Premier League schedules their games in a <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/09/10/epl-commentator-assignments-on-nbc-sports-gameweek-3-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very routine fashion</a>. To start, Saturday features one game at 7:30 a.m., a handful of games at 10 a.m., then one notable game at 12:30 p.m. Then, on Sunday, a couple of games start at 9 a.m. before one game at 11:30 a.m. to close out coverage. Additionally, there are often games on Monday afternoons at 3 p.m.
In Germany, the start times are largely similar. Perhaps, the only true differences come from a Friday afternoon game and a Sunday game starting at 1:30 p.m.
Comparatively, LaLiga has significantly later start times for American viewers. For Spain’s top division, kickoff times on the weekends ensure games do not overlap. For example, matchday five in LaLiga has four games each on Saturday and Sunday. Those games start at 8 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Serie A follows a hybrid of the Premier League and LaLiga. Most of the games happen on Sunday, mainly in the 9 a.m. window. On Saturday, the three games do not overlap with each other. Moreover, the kickoff times are, relatively speaking, later in the day compared to the Premier League.
Then we look at Major League Soccer. The season tends to run from April to early November. In this time, the MLS schedules games throughout the week and weekend typically at night. MLS contains significantly more teams than European leagues. In fact, there are plans to have <a href="https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-announces-plans-expand-30-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30 teams by 2023</a>. Therefore, it makes sense that games from throughout the U.S. and Canada overlap each night there are games.
<h3>Loss of viewership due to inopportune timing</h3>
Let me preface this by saying there are a multitude of reasons why the Premier League is so popular compared to other soccer leagues. The use of the English-language is a factor, as is the similarity between the cultures of the United Kingdom and United States. Those both make sense in terms of growing that league in the U.S.
However, when taking into account kickoff times, the Premier League simply fits in with people’s schedules. Americans love their American football, whether it’s NFL and/or college football. The glorious stadiums and community involvement makes it the major sport in the country. Over the weekends, it dominates people’s television screens.
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<div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk" title="World Soccer Talk Podcast" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener">World Soccer Talk Podcast</a> · <a href="https:\/\/soundcloud.com/worldsoccertalk/wild-wild-west-of-soccer-streaming" title="Soccer Streaming Wars of 2021" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener">Soccer Streaming Wars of 2021</a></div>
Still, there are gaps in the morning where there is no American football. By the fortunate good luck of the The Factory Act of 1850 that forbid factories from keeping workers any later than 2PM on Saturdays, it was a contributing factor later that century in the scheduling of English football matches to start at 3PM. More than 100 years later, that 3PM kickoff time (10AM ET) has paid huge dividends to help the growth of the Premier League in the United States when there is no American football.
The Premier League works like clockwork in the United States. Every Saturday, there’s typically a 7:30 a.m. ET kickoff followed by a number of 10 a.m. kickoff times that finish around noon. Then, college football starts, and the often the Premier League’s notable game competes with the early window of college football.
On Sunday later kickoffs make sense. A 9 a.m. start time precedes the 11:30 kickoff. By the time the second game concludes, the NFL window just opened, and people switch over to that sport.
Contrarily, the Serie A and LaLiga games that start on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. conflict with American football on weekends. (Real Madrid and Barcelona, especially, often start their games at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. on weekend afternoons).
Then, we see Major League Soccer. MLS schedules its season in late spring through fall. The summer is typically a dead time for American sports, with baseball being the only consistent sport. However, when the MLS season is just starting or coming to a close, it must compete with basketball and hockey or football respectively.
<h3>Relative American popularity between leagues</h3>
Based on the rise of streaming services over the past couple of years, viewership numbers are harder than ever to calculate.
Therefore, simple popularity is the best gauge on the effect of kickoff times.
For example, the Premier League recently put the second debut of Cristiano Ronaldo at the 10 a.m. kickoff time. According to ShowBuzz Daily, USA Network and Universo pulled a combined 649,000 viewers. This is&nbsp;significantly&nbsp;higher than the 2020/21 league average of <a href="https:\/\/www.statista.com/statistics/240891/geograhical-distribution-of-global-premier-league-tv-audience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">414,000 viewers</a> per game. Moreover, this game was not on one of NBC’s principal channels, even though USA Network is still on cable.
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/watch-premier-league-on-us-tv-internet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE</a>: Where to watch the Premier League on U.S. TV.
Comparatively, one of the most-watched games for the Bundesliga (then covered by FOX Sports), was the <a href="https:\/\/www.footballcritic.com/bundesliga/season-2019-2020/matches/3/21557" target="_blank" rel="noopener">return to play</a> following the COVID-19 stoppage. Bayern Munich played Union Berlin, and roughly<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2020/05/17/bundesliga-tv-ratings-on-fox-give-espn-a-clear-picture-of-starting-point-to-build-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 583,000 people watched</a>. Germany’s most popular team did not pull as many viewers as arguably England’s most popular team. Additionally, that game came on Sunday, May 17, at noon. At that time, in that month, there are no other sports on TV at that time. That fact is only helped by the shutdown of sports across America during the first half of 2020.
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/where-to-watch-the-bundesliga-on-us-tv-and-internet/">READ MORE:</a> Where to watch the Bundesliga on U.S. TV.
The same stands true for the likes of LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue Un. All these leagues have kickoff times that go against the grain of American sports. Therefore, the ensuing timing conflicts make people choose one or the other, and they often go with the more dominant sport.
<h3>Other impacts</h3>
Take all of that with a grain of salt. There are plenty of reasons one league may pull in more viewers than another. Also, some games will shoot up the average viewing audience, while other, less special games bring it down.
<div id="attachment_345468" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-345468" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-345468 size-large" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210918_WST_345357_El-Clasico-600x405.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=405" alt="" width="600" height="405" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-600x405.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico-768x518.jpg 768w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/El-Clasico.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div>El Clásico is consistently one of the world’s most-watched games each season.</div>
For example, El Clásico, when it involved Messi and Ronaldo head-to-head, drew millions of viewers in the States. In fact, even without the Portuguese in 2020 AND before the pandemic, El Clásico pulled almost <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2020/03/03/bein-sports-delivers-over-940000-viewers-for-el-clasico-on-us-tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one million U.S. viewers</a>. Top-tier games pull top-tier audiences.
On average, there is a correlation between kickoff times and viewership numbers. The more overlap there is between soccer games and traditional American sports, the less likely it will be to pull large audiences.
Understandably, this is not always the case. As stated previously, stardom, intrigue of matchups, importance in terms of the season and other factors all dictate viewership numbers.
Kickoff times represent just another one of those facets into how many Americans watch soccer games each day of the week, depending on the league.

Among the factors that influence viewership, kickoff times of games impact those statistics. Some leagues thrive in their timing, namely the Premier League.

How kickoff times influence soccer viewership in the U.S.

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>
The MLS Playoffs are just around the corner. With the 12-team single-elimination tournament starting in mid-November, we have news about the postseason <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/mls-tv-schedule">MLS schedule</a>.
Among notable differences from previous years, there will be a game on Thanksgiving for the first time.
Additionally, ABC will air four consecutive weekends of MLS coverage. ABC and the network’s of ESPN will cover all four rounds of the MLS Playoffs. Their over-the-air network coverage includes every round from every weekend of the tournament.
<h3>MLS Playoffs</h3>
Unlike the majority of professional soccer leagues in the world, Major League Soccer determines their season champion with a tournament. The top seven teams in each conference qualify.
For both the eastern and western conference, the top teams in each side of the bracket receive a bye to the second round. The other 10 teams begin their single-elimination tournament based off their regular-season seeding.
<div id="attachment_344953" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-344953" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-344953 size-medium" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210909_WST_344877_Atlanta-United-300x225.webp&amp;width=300&amp;height=225" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Atlanta-United-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Atlanta-United-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Atlanta-United-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Atlanta-United-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Atlanta-United-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/09/Atlanta-United-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></figure></div>Atlanta United won the MLS Cup in just their second MLS season.</div>
For example, if the MLS Playoffs were to start <a href="https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/standings/2021/conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">right now</a> (Sep. 9), the New England Revolution and the Seattle Sounders would receive first-round byes. Essentially, they begin their tournament after four teams are knocked out.
Formerly, MLS used two-leg ties to advance teams throughout the playoffs. Starting in 2019, the single-game elimination rule came into effect.
Moreover, the MLS tournament used during 2020 differed significantly from that which we will see in 2021. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic caused MLS to base playoff seeding off of points earned per game. This season, they revert back to the total points accumulated during the regular season. Moreover, there will not be a play-in round as there was in 2020. The top-team in each conference does receive a bye. Yet, the bottom teams do not play to qualify for the MLS Playoffs.
There is one change that could cause some controversy similar to 2020. MLS outlined mechanisms for postseason qualification. Among them, there is a certain minimum number of games played required for a team to qualify for the playoffs.
<h3>Playoff TV Coverage</h3>
All 12 of the single-elimination playoff matches in the tournament will air on national television in the United States. To start, the four opening-round games are on the weekend of Nov. 20/21. ABC and ESPN doubleheaders will bring coverage of the first round and the conference semifinals. Additionally, FOX will carry a portion of these games.
<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/where-to-watch-mls-on-us-tv-and-internet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE</a>: Where to watch MLS on U.S. TV.
FOX is making history with the MLS Playoffs as they bring a first for the league. A Thanksgiving Day showdown will air on the FOX broadcast network and FOX Deportes.
Together, FOX and the ESPN/ABC family of networks provide coverage of each game on national television.
For Spanish-language coverage, ESPN Deportes and FOX Deportes will also carry complete coverage of the MLS Playoffs. Univision will also have coverage, marking the 10th-consecutive year Univision network’s will broadcast the MLS Championship over the air.
Canadian coverage of the MLS Playoffs is available through TSN and TVA Sports. TSN and TVA Sports will provide comprehensive coverage of the postseason with coverage of every match. Channels are set to be announced at a later date.
Coverage of the tournament begins on Saturday, Nov. 20. Over the ensuing four weekends, the tournament culminates in the 2021 MLS Cup. On Dec. 11, the two conference champions play one game. The host is whichever team earned more points in the regular season. Consequently, the winner is the 2021 MLS Cup Champion.
The MLS Cup Final will be on ABC on Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. ET.

The MLS Playoffs are just around the corner. With the 12-team single-elimination tournament starting in mid-November, we have news about the schedule.

MLS Playoffs to air across FOX, ABC and Univision - World Soccer Talk

MLS Playoffs to air across FOX, ABC and Univision

<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-104942" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20140902_WST_115613_Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03-600x520.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=520" alt="Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03" width="600" height="520" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/06/Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03-600x520.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/06/Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03-150x130.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/06/Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03-300x260.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/06/Mario_Balotelli_Euro_2012_vs_England_03.jpg 656w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></figure></div>
Using the Champions League as their template, UEFA have completely revamped the scheduling of qualifying matches for Euro 2016. For starters, the 10 rounds of qualifying matches are referred to as “Matchdays”. Each Matchday will consist of three consecutive calendar days of matches that, in the case of the upcoming Matchday 1, will take place from Sunday through to Tuesday. Secondly, the kickoff times are set at 18.00 and 20.45 CET. Its worth mentioning that it’s not only matches in Russia and Azerbaijan that will have the early kickoffs.
The biggest change, however, is in the area of TV rights. Whereas past national team matches were sold separately by the respective Associations, UEFA have taken it upon themselves to sell the rights to the qualifiers themselves – again emulating the Champions League structure. In the US, FOX and ESPN will share the rights (in reality, it was Fox that won the bidding process and then subsequently sublicensed the rights to half the matches to ESPN). While at first thought, the consolidation of kickoff times could have limited the number of matches available live in the US, the fact that two networks with multiple outlets are handling the coverage works out fairly well for us fans in the US. Here is a rundown of LIVE matches for Matchday #1 (all times are ET):
Sunday, September 7th:
ESPN:
12:00pm Denmark v Armenia (ESPN Deportes &amp; ESPN3) 
12:00pm Georgia v Rep. Ireland (ESPN3) 
2:45pm Portugal v Albania (ESPN2 &amp; ESPN Deportes)
2:45pm Greece v Romania (ESPN3 / ESPN Deportes on Monday, 4:45pm)
2:45pm Faroe Islands v Finland (ESPN3)
FOX:
12:00pm Hungary v No. Ireland (FoxSports-2 + Fox Deportes)
2:45pm Germany v Scotland (FoxSports-1 + Fox Deportes) 
2:45pm Gibraltar v Poland (FoxSoccer-Plus)
Monday, September 8th:
ESPN:
2:45pm Spain v Macedonia (ESPN Deportes &amp; Espn3)
2:45pm Austria v Sweden (ESPN3/ ESPN Deportes on Tuesday, 4:45pm) 
2:45pm Estonia v Slovenia (ESPN3) 
2:45pm Montenegro v Moldova (ESPN3)
FOX:
12:00pm Russia v Liechtenstein (FoxSports-1)
2:45pm Switzerland v England (FoxSports-1) 
2:45pm Ukraine v Slovakia (FoxSports-2)
2:45pm Luxembourg v Belarus (FoxSoccer-Plus)
Tuesday, September 9th:
ESPN:
12:00pm Azerbaijan v Bulgaria (ESPN Deportes &amp; Espn3) 
2:45pm Czech Rep. v Netherlands (ESPN2 &amp; ESPN Deportes)
2:45pm Croatia v Malta (ESPN3 / ESPN Deportes on Wednesday at 4:00am)
2:45pm Iceland v Turkey (ESPN3)
FOX:
12:00pm Kazakhstan v Latvia (FoxSports-1) 
2:45pm Norway v Italy (FoxSports-1)
2:45pm Andorra v Wales (FoxSports-2)
2:45pm Bosnia-Herzegovina v Cyprus (FoxSoccer-Plus)
Televised International Friendlies:
Programming note: For viewers in the United States, Brazil National Team games are being shown exclusively on beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS Espanol and DishWorld. Even if you don’t have a TV subscription to beIN SPORTS, you can access those channels via online streaming service <a href="http:\/\/www.kqzyfj.com/click-3301630-11483567?sid=laligareview">DishWorld</a> for $10/month. Read our <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2013/11/13/subscribe-to-bein-sport-for-10month-via-dishworld/">review of DishWorld</a>. And <a href="http:\/\/www.kqzyfj.com/click-3301630-11483567?sid=laligareview">sign up for DishWorld</a> via their website.
Wednesday, September 3rd:
2:15pm Czech Rep. v USA (NBCSN, UniMas &amp; Univision Deportes) 
2:45pm Germany v Argentina (ESPNews &amp; ESPN Deportes) 
3:00pm England v Norway (FoxSports-2 &amp; Fox Deportes)
Thursday, September 4th:
3:00pm France v Spain (ESPN Deportes &amp; ESPN3)
Friday, September 5th:
6:20am Japan v Uruguay (ESPN3)
9:00pm Brazil v Colombia (in Miami) (beINSports-1 &amp; ñ)
Saturday, September 6th:
10:00pm Mexico v Chile (in Santa Clara) (UniMas, Univision Deportes &amp; ESPN3)
Sunday, September 7th:
2:45pm Serbia v France (FoxSports-2)
Tuesday, September 9th:
6:20am Japan v Venezuela (ESPN3)
8:30pm Brazil v Ecuador (in NY) (beINSports-1 &amp; ñ)
10:00pm Mexico v Bolivia (in Colorado) (ESPN2, UniMas &amp; Univision Deportes)
Edward Perovic is the publisher of soccertvblog.com – a source for schedules and US TV information for major European Leagues and International competitions.

Euro 2016 Qualifiers TV Schedule For U.S Soccer Fans  - World Soccer Talk

Euro 2016 Qualifiers TV Schedule For U.S Soccer Fans

<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Fox-logo.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Fox-logo.jpg"></a></figure></div>
The 2010 Champions League Final featuring Inter Milan against Bayern Munich drew a 1.1 overnight rating on the Fox Network.
How does that compare to last year’s final on ESPN? The 2009 Final, which was shown on a Wednesday afternoon, drew a 1.0 rating. So, in comparison, Fox’s rating is a disappointment. That said, you have to consider which teams played last year — Barcelona and Manchester United, two of the biggest clubs in the world. Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are big too, but they’re not in the same league as the Red Devils and Barca.
On Saturday afternoon, Fox had competition from other sports in terms of attracting viewers. The match was shown at the same time as Game four of the Flyers against Canadiens NHL Eastern Conference Final, which drew 1.6 on NBC. The third round of the PGA Tour Byron Nelsen Championship on CBS, meanwhile, drew 1.1
The last time a soccer final was shown on network television was the Euro 2008 game between Spain and Germany, which drew a rating of 3.1 overnight on ABC.
As of September 1, 2009, there are an estimated 114.9 million television households in the United States. A single national ratings point represents one percent of the total number, or 1,149,000 households for the 2009–10 season.
So what’s the verdict on the ratings? Fox was handicapped by having two teams in the final that don’t have massive appeal in the United States. Plus soccer fans (and sports fans) are not used to seeing soccer finals shown on the Fox Network. Despite all of the promotion Fox did, there were still soccer fans confused on Saturday who didn’t know what channel the game was being shown on. If the final had featured Barcelona against Manchester United or Manchester United versus Inter Milan, I have no doubt that the ratings would have been MUCH higher.

Fox Scores a 1.1 Overnight Rating for Champions League Final - World Soccer Talk

Fox Scores a 1.1 Overnight Rating for Champions League Final

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Ladies and gentlemen, this is it. Although there are no English clubs in the Champions League Final, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are ready to fight for victory in one of the biggest club competition finals in the sport of soccer.
While many eyes will be fixed to what happens on the field, I’ll be particularly interested in seeing how the Fox Network pulls off the first live telecast of a Champions League Final on US network television. From 1 to 2:30pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel will feature Bobby McMahon, Warren Barton, Eric Wynalda and Jeremy St. Louis live from Madrid for the pre-game show. And then the telecast moves to the Fox Network at 2:30pm ET for the game itself which will be presented by Curt Menefee alongside Bruce Arena.
Before, during and after the game, feel free to add your comments into the section below. Let’s hope it’s a spectacular final!

2:17pm ET: Bobby McMahon and Warren Barton sign off from their pregame duties to make room for Curt Menefee and Bruce Arena. Fair play to McMahon and Barton who have done a brilliant job all season and have yet again done a superb job today. No pressure Arena and Menefee. But the nation is watching!
2:33pm ET: Lovely. Menefee, Arena and Wynalda spend the first 1-2 minutes basically convincing those American viewers at home why they shouldn’t change the channel. Let the soccer do the talking rather than your words, gentlemen. Don’t sound so desperate.
2:44pm ET: First FAIL from Fox. The presenter and analysts were discussing the formations, but Fox failed to put them up on screen until a couple of minutes later. A little slow on the trigger button from Fox.
2:45pm ET: Not a smooth transition from the presenter/analysts to Martin Tyler and Andy Gray. Thankfully, Tyler and Gray will be in charge here for the next 45 minutes.
2:46pm ET: So much for the Champions League Final being shown in HD as it has been promised. It’s supposed to be in HD, but either the HD picture is poor for me (and others) or it’s in SD. It’s definitely not high quality HD.
3:19pm ET: Route one football, and Inter Milan’s Diego Milito scores to make it 1-0 to the Italians. Will that be the only goal of the game?
4:13pm ET: Diego Milito makes it 2-0. Jose Mourinho just increased his salary offer from Real Madrid.
4:35pm ET: Full-time. Inter 2-0 Bayern Munich. Congratulations to Inter Milan on a convincing win. But where was Bayern Munich today? At times, it was a lame performance by the German team who couldn’t seem to break down the Italian team. No surprises here. Congratulations to Jose Mourinho.
4;44pm ET: Nerves or a flub? Menefee pronounces Mourinho as “Ma-ran-yo”

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