Fox Sports | |
---|---|
Launched | 26 January 1995 |
Owned by | Fox Sports Pty Limited |
Picture format |
576i (SDTV) 16:9 1080i (HDTV) 16:9 |
Audience share |
Fox Sports 1: 0.2% Fox Sports 2: 0.1% Fox Sports 3: 0.1% Fox Sports 4: 0.6% Fox Sports 5: 0.1% (November 2015, ) |
Slogan | We're a FOX Sporting Nation |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Headquarters | Artarmon, New South Wales |
Formerly called | Premier Sports (prior to 19 February 1996) |
Sister channel(s) |
Fox Footy Fox Sports News |
Website | www.foxsports.com.au |
Availability
|
|
Satellite | |
Foxtel |
Fox Sports 1: Channel 501 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 2: Channel 502 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 3: Channel 503 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 4: Channel 505 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 5: Channel 506 (SD/HD) Fox Sports Plus: Channel 507 Fox Sports 1: Channel 1501 (SD) Fox Sports 2: Channel 1502 (SD) Fox Sports 3: Channel 1503 (SD) Fox Sports 4: Channel 1505 (SD) Fox Sports 5: Channel 1506 (SD) |
Cable | |
Foxtel |
Fox Sports 1: Channel 501 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 2: Channel 502 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 3: Channel 503 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 4: Channel 505 (SD/HD) Fox Sports 5: Channel 506 (SD/HD) Fox Sports Plus: Channel 507 Fox Sports 1: Channel 1501 (SD) Fox Sports 2: Channel 1502 (SD) Fox Sports 3: Channel 1503 (SD) Fox Sports 4: Channel 1505 (SD) Fox Sports 5: Channel 1506 (SD) |
Optus TV |
Fox Sports 1: Channel 501 Fox Sports 2: Channel 502 Fox Sports 3: Channel 503 Fox Sports 4: Channel 504 Fox Sports Plus: Channel 505 Fox Sports 5: Channel 506 |
IPTV | |
Foxtel Play |
Fox Sports News: Channel 500 Fox Sports 1: Channel 501 Fox Sports 2: Channel 502 Fox Sports 3: Channel 503 Fox Sports 4: Channel 505 Fox Sports 5: Channel 506 |
Telstra T-Box |
Sports Play: Channel 507 Footy Play: Channel 504 Footy Play+: Channel 506 Fox Sports News: Channel 513 |
Fox Sports is an Australian group of sports channels, owned by Fox Sports Pty Limited (known as Premier Media Group until February 2012), which is owned by News Corp Australia. Its main competitors are ESPN and beIN Sports Australia.
Fox Sports in Australia differs from other Fox Sports-branded channels in the United States and elsewhere around the world in that it is not owned by 21st Century Fox, but by News Corp—the publishing company that was spun out from the larger News Corporation in 2013. Although 21st Century Fox maintains ownership of the remainder of News Corporation's broadcasting assets, its Australian television assets were spun out with the new company as well. Both companies nonetheless remain under the control of the Murdoch family.
Fox Sports started life as the Premier Sports Network (later just 'Premier Sports') as the only fully operational local channel at the launch of Australia's first pay-television service, Galaxy. Premier Sports' backers included American company Prime International, which was later to become part of Liberty Media.
The service was launched at 4pm 26 January 1995 in Sydney and made a name for itself, securing the rights to Australia's cricket tour of the West Indies. Previously Australian cricket tours had been covered on the Nine Network on free-to-air, and Nine tried to stop the broadcast under Australia's 'anti-siphoning' rules, which state that certain popular sporting events cannot be screened exclusively on pay television. PSN signed a deal with Network Ten to share the broadcast rights.
When Foxtel launched its cable service later that year, PSN was included as part of the package. Between 1995 and 2010, Fox Sports aired National Basketball League (NBL) games. On 1 March 1996, PSN was relaunched as Fox Sports Australia, to coincide with the new Super 12 rugby union competition and the proposed launch of the Super League.