Fox Takes On ESPN Saturday with Launch of Sports Channels

Tomorrow morning, the Speed and Fuel networks will be transformed into the much-hyped Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 channels, in a move intended to compete with ESPN. Fox has landed deals with college conferences Pac-12 and Big 12 football and basketball, Big East basketball, NASCAR, the UFC, Major League Baseball, World Cup soccer and, most recently, the U.S. Open golf championship. The TV everywhere companion app Fox Sports Go will not launch concurrently, as it continues its testing phase. Continue reading Fox Takes On ESPN Saturday with Launch of Sports Channels

News Corp. to Launch Social Network for Wall Street Journal

News Corp. is planning a social networking expansion of its Wall Street Journal website, which will transform the site into a platform intended for more than simply delivering news. Lex Fenwick, CEO of Dow Jones, described the company’s plans during an investor day earlier this week. The focal point of the platform is a feature called WSJ Profile, which allows users to post what is essentially a digital resume and features social functions that could compete with LinkedIn. Continue reading News Corp. to Launch Social Network for Wall Street Journal

FOX Sports 1 to Launch in August: All-Sports Cable Network

Media magnate Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corp., has plans to take on ESPN with a new national cable sports network. FOX Sports 1 is expected to launch in August in the United States, with plans to broadcast football, motor sports, baseball and much more. Murdoch hopes that the all-sports network will be as successful in the U.S. as Sky Sports has proven in the United Kingdom. Continue reading FOX Sports 1 to Launch in August: All-Sports Cable Network

Murdoch Urged to Drop BSkyB Deal, Hacking Scandal Widens

  • UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg publicly urged News Corp. to drop its bid to acquire BSkyB, Britain’s largest satellite TV provider.
  • The announcement was delivered in the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, which continues this week with allegations involving additional News Corp. publications, possible classified information regarding the royal family, bribery of police and other illegal methods to obtain information.
  • Murdoch’s decision to shut down News of the World apparently has not muted the public outcry.
  • A group of disgruntled News Corp. shareholders has reportedly filed a lawsuit alleging nepotism and accusing the company of governance failures.
  • BSkyB’s stock posted a 5.5 percent drop on the news.