Looking to beef up their MLS coverage and stand out from ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel today unveiled their new theme for their weekly MLS game. &nbsp;Calling it “Soccer Night in America”, the new program includes enhanced graphics, a new set, and a jazzed up marketing campaign to draw attention to the game of the week.
The intent of the redesign, according to the release from corporate, was to bring the soccer productions more in line with other Fox sports offerings. &nbsp;Some of the new features include better, more streamlined branding of the MLS games shown under the Soccer Night brand, the use of super-slow motion filming to allow more precise looks at the action, and the introduction of Vizrt technology. &nbsp;Vizrt is a graphic design company that incorporates 3-D imaging into their products to create a crisper, clearer picture; many broadcasts worldwide use the technology and it is most famous as the graphic company for the CNN holographs during the 2008 presidential election. &nbsp;What will not change are the personalities: Christopher Sullivan and Eric Wynalda will still provide the pre-game and post-game coverage, while the play-by-play team will be JP Dellacamera and Kyle Martino. &nbsp;The first match under the new brand is this Saturday’s Portland/Philadelphia matchup.
Obviously this is just coming out now due to the very late negotiations MLS had with television networks to cover MLS, so I guess it’s better late than never. &nbsp;My first thought when I heard the new brand was, “that’s the NBC slogan”. &nbsp;NBC uses the phrase “Football Night in America” for their Sunday night NFL games, so the idea is not an original one. &nbsp;I am, however, a proponent of improving the picture and production of MLS matches and see these changes as definitely a good thing. &nbsp;One thing I believe that has driven the popularity of soccer is how beautiful the beautiful game looks on HD televisions. &nbsp;Modern technology highlights many of the positives of the sport: the crowd noise, the vibrant colors, the fast pace.
The change also shows Fox is taking MLS seriously, and that’s a nice change. &nbsp;While it is hard to deny that the English Premier League is the network’s bread and butter, MLS always felt like the proverbial redheaded stepchild: tolerated but not as beloved as the larger league. &nbsp;At least trying to keep up with the EPL productions (the major EPL matches have seen a step up in production value recently – see the lineup introductions) shows Fox does care about the American product. &nbsp;While as a Comcast subscriber I do not have Fox Soccer HD, I am curious to see the difference in production values this Friday.
What do you think of the new “Soccer Night in America”?

Fox Introduces Soccer Night in America - World Soccer Talk

Fox Introduces Soccer Night in America

<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/fox-soccer-channelthumbnail.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/fox-soccer-channelthumbnail.jpg"></a></figure></div>Fresh off the news that JP Dellacamera is making the move from ESPN to Fox Soccer, the network <a href="http:\/\/msn.foxsports.com/press/story/fox-soccer-announces-2011-mls-broadcast-team" target="_blank">announced its pairings</a> for the upcoming MLS season. &nbsp;Not surprisingly, Dellacamera is the Friday night play-by-play man, and in my opinion Fox has surrounded him with some quality talent.
Your game day host for MLS will be American soccer legend Eric Wynalda. &nbsp;According to the Fox press release, Wynalda will host the pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows for the 31 matches FSC will carry this year. &nbsp;His in-studio partner is fellow American international Christopher Sullivan, a past color commentator for MLS Saturday on FSC. &nbsp;The two gentlemen have been excellent with Warren Barton in Fox Soccer’s Champions League coverage, offering good insight without being annoying studio presences.
Kyle Martino has been a lightening rod during his time at FSC, hosting the widely panned Soccer Talk Live during its brief existence but seemingly settling into a more comfortable role in “the pub” during FSC’s Super Sunday +. &nbsp;His experience on the pitch is undeniable, and he does add a good perspective to the shows he is currently on. &nbsp;I think pairing him with JP Dellacamera will give him a chance to expand his broadcast experience, and he will be a better partner for JP than his ESPN partner John Harkes. &nbsp;To many that is heresy, but Harkes’ laid back color commentary seemed to not mesh well with Dellacamera’s low wattage style of play-by-play (case in point – Edson Buddle’s playoff goal). &nbsp;Martino will lend some passion into the booth, and combined with JP’s professionalism, will make this a good pairing.
Rounding out the team is Brian Dunseth on the sidelines, who besides being another U.S. national has experience in this role for RSL and FSC. &nbsp;During the Saturday games, Fox Soccer will bring in Mark Rogandino, Allen Hopkins, Dave Johnson, and Keith Bleyer.
So what do you think of the new format for MLS matches? &nbsp;Looking forward to Sullivan/Wynalda in studio with Dellacamera/Martino in the booth?

Fox Soccer Announces Broadcast Team for 2011 Season - World Soccer Talk

Fox Soccer Announces Broadcast Team for 2011 Season

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Fox Introduces Soccer Night in America

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Fox Soccer Announces Broadcast Team for 2011 Season