Fox International Channels has announced the rebrand of Eredivisie Live to FOX Sports Eredivisie and the launch of Fox Sports in the Netherlands.
The news was earlier reported by Broadband TV News. The switch to Fox Sports Eredivisie goes live on August 1, 2013, followed by the launch of Fox Sports on August 17.
The newly named Fox Sports Eredivisie will remain the home of Dutch national soccer leagues, and will launch the 2013 Eredivisie season on Friday August 2 with a match between Ajax and Roda JC Kerkrade.
Its new sister network, Fox Sports, will become the Dutch destination of top international soccer, including the Barclays Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup, the League Cup, Coppa Italia, DFB Pokal and the UEFA Europa League.
The Fox Sports Eredivisie three-channel multiplex will continue being the national broadcaster of live Dutch matches from the Eredivisie and Jupiler League, cup soccer from the KNVB and Dutch teams in the UEFA Europa League.
In addition to the hundreds of live games, the channel’s current slate of signature news, recaps, Club TV and sports talk shows will remain and be helmed by their existing presenters Jan Joost van Gangelen, Kees Jansma and Toine van Peperstraten.
Hernan Lopez, President and CEO of FIC commented: “We’re very excited to bring Fox Sports to The Netherlands, a country full of passionate fans and rich in sporting tradition. I’m confident the FOX Sports Eredivisie and FOX Sports networks will become favored sports destinations for the soccer-loving Dutch.”
This latest move continues to thrust FOX Sports’ international reach, which under FIC’s leadership has more than quadrupled from 17 million households in 2010 to nearly 70 million projected once this summer’s Italian and Dutch launches complete.
Both FOX Sports Eredivisie and FOX Sports will be managed by Eredivisie Media & Marketing (EMM), an FIC majority-owned joint venture between FIC, the 18 Eredivisie teams, KNVB and Endemol. EMM is governed by a team of managing directors, including Alex Tielbeke, Frank Rutten and Raymond van der Vliet. The group is currently negotiating transmission of Fox Sports Eredivisie and Fox Sports.
