FSN to Televise Nearly 2,000 MLB Games in 2011

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* 14 MLB Teams Televised Across 16 FSN Regional Networks

* Nearly 2,000 Games Produced in HD

The 2011 MLB season opens today and FSN will be there with the first pitch at 1:05p ET, as the Tigers take on the Yankees on FOX Sports Detroit and Braves battle the Nationals on SportSouth.

In all, FOX Sports Networks will produce more than 2,000 MLB games this season-- far and away more than any other media entity-- and the high point resulting from a steady growth rate that has seen FSN's telecast schedule increase more than 25% over the past five years (1,600 games in 2006). 


To enhance its productions, FSN will utilize Fox-Mo, the super slow motion technology, as well as Fox Trax, the strike zone location graphic.


In addition, every one of FSN's regions has its own story to tell this season with its MLB coverage.  Here are some examples:

FoxSportsWest.com Sets New Traffic Record in March; New Writers Help Fuel Growth

The month of March yielded a record number of unique visitors and page views for foxsportswest.com, which has strengthened its team of contributors in recent months by adding established sports writers from the Southern California area.    

Compared to February 2011, March uniques for foxsportswest.com are up 57% and page views are up 58%  

With the Lakers streaking towards the playoffs and trying to repeat the "three-peat," and both the Dodgers and Angels opening their 2011 campaigns, there should be no shortage of stories to fuel traffic for foxsportswest.com for April.  

Virtual Signage Brings in Real Ad Dollars, Creates Value for FOX Sports Detroit & FOX Sports Ohio Sponsors

* Partnership between RSNs and NHL teams provides unique opportunity to integrate sponsor brands into hockey telecasts.

* Use of cutting-edge technology delivers additional sales inventory, new revenue source.

Hockey telecasts on FOX Sports Detroit and FOX Sports Ohio are the first among the FSN family to utilize virtual signage, where static advertisements digitally appear on the glass behind each goal.  It is not only a distinctive way for sponsors to promote their product in-game, but it also brings in new ad revenue shared by the regional network and the team partner.

Sun Sports Puts Heat Players To the Test

Miami Heat telecasts on Sun Sports are sizzling, with ratings up 100% over last season.  The network is engaging fans with not only high-quality game productions, but also unique and entertaining features. One halftime feature in particular has become a fan and media favorite.

High School Basketball "Miracle Shot" Remembered by FOX Sports Detroit

* Chris Coles comes back to Crisler Arena on 25th anniversary of unforgettable state championship-winning shot.

* Linear and web coverage includes archival footage and participant interviews to recall 1986 Michigan high school basketball final. 

Three seconds to go.  Saginaw Buena Vista trails Flint Beecher 32-31.  A missed free throw, rebound, dribble, pass, dribble and a desperation heave... followed by pandemonium.

FOX Sports South "Glasses Cam" Gives Braves Fans Unique Perspective

* Networks take Braves fans behind-the-scenes at Spring Training


* Web feature showcases new technology, gives fans more access

FOX Sports South and SportSouth let Braves fans see through the eyes of Jason Heyward - literally.  The Braves standout donned the networks' sunglasses camera for part of a spring training workout, as he went through conditioning drills, stretched and talked with coaches. The content was turned into a web feature and will be used during Braves LIVE shows this season.

FOX Sports Midwest Supports Team Partners with Ticket Special

FOX Sports Midwest is helping two key team partners sell tickets by serving as presenting sponsor of a collaboration between the St. Louis Blues and St. Louis Cardinals.

With the FOX Sports Midwest Red Meets Blue ticket special, fans can purchase tickets to two upcoming Blues games and receive $10 off Cardinals tickets in April or May.

FOX Sports North Responds to Disaster in Japan

FS North and Minnesota Twins take action to support new Japanese teammate Tsuyoshi Nishioka and the many victims of the disaster.

Network and team create campaign to raise awareness to support relief efforts.

FOX Sports Arizona's Ed Olsen Talks Up the Value of Local Sports

 

FOX Sports Arizona general sales manager Ed Olsen talks about the value of live, local sports and the importance of in-game messaging in this profile in the Phoenix Business Journal.

Profile: Ed Olsen, Fox Sports Arizona

Phoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks 

Phoenix generally isn’t one of those sports towns where fans live and die with their teams. That’s usually reserved for places such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Boston.

But Ed Olsen is one of the folks in the Valley whose job thrives or withers based on how Phoenix’s professional and university sports teams are performing.

FOX Sports North & FOX Sports Wisconsin Take the Plunge for Special Olympics

The annual Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge events are quite the rage across Minnesota and Wisconsin. A unique opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses to support Special Olympics by raising money to jump into frigid Midwest waters, it consists of numerous events across the two states during the coldest months of the year.

FOX Sports South On-Air Campaign Marks New Chapter in Braves Baseball

Generates Buzz, Reinforces Localism, Drives Tune-In

To build a sense of anticipation for the start of the 2011 Atlanta Braves season, FOX Sports South and SportSouth produced a series of on-air promotional spots to highlight the arrival of new manager Fredi Gonzalez, celebrate the loyalty of Braves fans across the region, and generate a buzz about the networks' 2011 coverage of the team.

Spots ran in marquee programming including NBA, NHL and college basketball game telecasts, such as ACC Sunday Night Hoops.  Spots that do not include MLB game footage were pushed out on the networks' social media platforms, which include more than 45,000 fans and followers.

Ad Market for MLB Strong as Ever

Sports’ ad-sales winning streak clearly continuing with MLB

"The market for live sports shows no signs of abating, underscoring the value advertisers increasingly are placing on all sports programming."

Published March 14, 2011,

In a column about MLB ad sales last spring, I wrote: 

“The pessimism and agitation of 2009 has been replaced by guarded optimism in 2010.”

Well, this year, the “guarded optimism” of 2010 has been replaced by unfettered joy in 2011. TV networks are experiencing the hottest ad sales market veteran sales executives have ever seen.

The market for live sports shows no signs of abating, underscoring the value advertisers increasingly are placing on all sports programming.

FOX Sports Arizona Uses March Madness to Create Value & Friendly Rivalry with Advertisers

FOX Sports Arizona is taking March Madness to a new level this year by creating a first-of-its-kind NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket challenge exclusively for its advertising partners.

Designed so the network can further connect and interact with its sales partners, FOX Sports Arizona’s 2011 March Madness Tournament Challenge is a fun competition between a variety of advertisers and clients who will compete to win a fully-catered Arizona Diamondbacks suite-night for its employees.

FOX Sports Midwest Spreads March Madness for High School Basketball

* 40 High School Basketball Games in 10 Days


* FOX Sports Midwest's TV and Web Platforms Combine to Show all Missouri High School Basketball Championship, Semifinal and Third Place Games


FOX Sports Midwest has been the television home of Missouri State High School Activities Association championships since 1998, but this year the network has taken its coverage of the state's football and basketball championships to a new level.

FOX Sports Ohio Tackles Tressel Controversy, Web Traffic Soars

When an unnamed source accused Ohio State's Jim Tressel of knowing about his players potential NCAA violations before original investigation, FOXSportsOhio.com followed the story as it unfolded.

* FOXSportsOhio.com had its second biggest day in the site's history, with 10x unique visitors.


* Video section saw 20x the normal daily viewing, with  "Tressel Discusses Confidential Emails" becoming the fourth-most viewed video in site history.

FSN Continues Pac-10 Tournament Coverage with Semi-Finals on Friday

#1 Arizona vs. #4 USC (6pm)


#7 Oregon vs. #3 Washington (8:30pm)


FSN to Televise Both Games Live*


FOXSportsWest.com's Dedicated Pac-10 Tournament Page Offers Stories, Video, Photos, and More


FSN begins its third day of coverage of the 2011 Pacific Life Pac-10 Men’s Tournament from the STAPLES Center in Downtown LA.  Live, high definition coverage begins at 6:00 PM with play-by-play announcer Steve Physioc and analyst Marques Johnson calling the action for both games. Former Oregon head coach Ernie Kent will also contribute analysis before, during halftime, and immediately following each game telecast.

Sadness of High School Basketball Tragedy Told by FoxSportsDetroit.com

* Prep athlete’s sudden death tugs at nation’s heartstrings

* Michigan high school team plays on in memory of teammate

The idyllic sounding town of Fennville was little more than a spec on the map in southwest Michigan prior to Thursday, March 3.  Since then, it has been in the thoughts of a sports nation after 16-year-old Wes Leonard collapsed and died of cardiac arrest just moments after making the game-winning layup in overtime, keeping his team undefeated for the season.

Following is how FOXSportsDetroit.com covered the story for its visitors in the days following the tragic event:

Big Brands Sponsor College Classes to get Social-Media Help - WSJ.com

• MARCH 9, 2011
• 
  
• Here, Tweeting Is a Class Requirement

By KATHERINE ROSMAN

Emerson College instructor David Gerzof teaches students to design online marketing for Sprint and other companies.

Businesses including Sprint Nextel Corp., Levi Strauss & Co. and Mattel Inc. are sponsoring college classes and graduate-level research to get help with their online marketing from the young and hyperconnected. 

Fox Sports Net, a group of regional sports channels, works with schools such as USC and the University of Florida as part of a program it calls Creative University, which launched in 2008 and will be rolled out to 10 schools by the fall. 

LIVE Data Streaming on FS South Billboards

* Live Scores, Headlines on 11 Digital Billboards Across Atlanta


* First in Market to Utilize Live Streaming Technology


* Additional Rollout to FS North, FS West, FS Detroit and Other Regions  Later This Month 

FSN Local Web Sites Set New Traffic High in Feb

* Total unique users up 51% from prior month

* FOXSportsSouthwest.com accounted for 33% of all Feb page views

* FOXSportsFlorida.com set new all-time high with coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend. 

* FOXSportsSouth.com saw its highest spike in uniques and page views

Dallas-Fort Worth’s first-ever Super Bowl, a creative solution to address a team owner’s program concerns, and a blockbuster NBA trade led to the best-month ever for FoxSportsSouthwest.com.

FOX Sports North Puts Fans in Director's Chair

FOX Sports North steps up "second screen" experience for viewers.


* Adds interactive features "Director's Cut" and "Snappy TV" to college hockey telecasts, including:


* Directors Cut:  A live view of camera angles, replays and graphics as well as the producer and director's live mics on FoxSportsNorth.com


* Instant “What You Missed” SnappyTV Video Clips: Instant highlights seconds after it happens on FoxSportsNorth.com or via direct links sent out to fans on Twitter and Facebook.

FS Southwest Ends Black History Month by Honoring SMU Legend Jerry LeVias

VIDEO: Jerry LeVias from SMUDailyMustang.com on Vimeo.

* Distinguished Panel Commemorates Integration of College Football in Southwest

* Event Webcast Live on FoxSportsSouthwest.com

* "Under the Lights" Television Special to Premier in March

Fox Sports Southwest closed out Black History Month on Monday with a live webcast of a compelling Town Hall Forum at Southern Methodist University to honor the legacy of SMU star wide receiver Jerry LeVias, the first black scholarship athlete in the Southwest Conference.

Media coverage included the Dallas Morning News, SMU Daily Campus, and others. 

"April in the D" Contest Tops 100,000 Votes

• FOX Sports Detroit's Annual Song Contest Drawing to a Close

• Detroit Native Kid Rock Heads List of Guest Judges

• Team Partners Help Get Out the Vote

One sure sign that the cold and snowy Michigan winter will soon end is the arrival of FOX Sports Detroit's APRIL IN THE D Song Contest, a prelude to the network's annual month-long celebration of the local sports scene and the welcome arrival of springtime.

Magic Set Ratings Record with Victory Over Knicks

As Dwight Howard added another 30-point, 16-rebound game to his MVP resume and Jameer Nelson posted a season-high 26 points last night, the Orlando Magic’s win over the New York Knicks in Orlando had fans glued to Sun Sports last night...

• Highest rating for an Orlando Magic regular season game on Sun Sports in nearly a decade (since 1/30/02 vs. Lakers).

• Posted a 4.7 avg. HH rating (68,731 homes) on Sun Sports in the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne market, according to Nielsen preliminary overnights

• Through 29 game telecasts on Sun Sports, Orlando Magic ratings are up 30% over last season (same number of games).

FOX Sports Florida Taps Into Social Media to Capture FanFests

Great example of using social media resources to create content around an event that is not being televised.


Fans turn out in record numbers for the recent Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays annual FanFests and FOX Sports Florida/Sun Sports was there to capture content and make it available to fans.

As the exclusive regional TV home for both teams, FOX Sports Florida/Sun Sports had a large presence both on-site and online that day, with fans lining up to meet and greet their home team TV announcers.

FSN Celebrates John Wooden Weekend to Honor Legendary Coach

During last weekend's national Pac-10 basketball telecasts (Arizona @UCLA and Washington St. @Washington), FSN honored the memory of the late legendary UCLA coach John Wooden with a series of vignettes celebrating Wooden's life and his remarkable contributions to college basketball.

In addition, fans who attended UCLA’s 71-49 victory over Arizona at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday received replicas of Wooden's "Pyramid of Success," and all four coaches were asked to wear a pyramid lapel pin.  

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