Fox Sports is a Mexican pay televisionnetwork operated by Grupo Multimedia Lauman. The network focuses on sports-related programming including live and pre-recorded event broadcasts, sports talk shows and original programming, available throughout Mexico. The network was previously based in Los Angeles with production studios in Argentina and Mexico. The network continues to use the Fox Sports name under a license agreement with Fox Corporation.[1]
History
Fox Sports logo, used from 2009 to 2012.
The network was launched in 1996 as Prime Deportiva, under the ownership of Liberty Media. Prior to its launch, on October 31, 1995, News Corporation acquired a 50% ownership interest in Liberty's Prime Network group and its international networks (including sister channels Premier Sports and Prime Sports Asia) as part of an expansion of its Fox Sports properties in the Americas.[2][3] In 1996, the channel was rebranded as Fox Sports Américas, later shortened to Fox Sports in 1999. In 2002, Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst, a Dallas private equity firm, Liberty Media Corp and News Corp created a holding company (Fox Pan American Sports) to jointly operate FOX Sports Latin America.[4] News Corp owned approximately 38% interest.[5] Liberty later exited leaving HMTF and News Corp as co-owners of the cable network. News Corp purchased the ownership rights from HMTF of FOX Sports en Español and rebranded as FOX Deportes in 2010. News Corp purchased the remaining ownership rights for the holding company from HMTF and fully owned the FOX Sports Latin America cable network in 2011.
Fox Sports logo, used from February to November 2012.
In 2009, a second feed called Fox Sports+ (FOX Sports Plus) was launched, to allow simultaneous broadcasting of football. In 2010, FOX Sports signed a deal with UFC to be the first cable network to show it in Latin America. FOX Sports also opened a studio in 2010[6] in Mexico City where it broadcasts original programming and licensed programming. In 2012, the channel was renamed to Fox Sports 2, whereas Speed Channel was rebranded to Fox Sports 3.
On February 21, 2019, Bloomberg reported that Disney had divest the Fox Sports television network from the 21st Century Fox purchase in order to get an approval from the governments of Mexico and Brazil. The division was among the last major hurdles for the Disney-Fox deal.[7]
On May 22, 2021, Disney announced it would sell Fox Sports Mexico to Grupo Multimedia Lauman with the deal being expected to close in 2021, pending regulatory approval.[8][9][10] On June 9, 2021, the transaction was approved by the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Institute.[11][12][13]
Feeds
Localised channels
Fox Sports -Launched as Prima Deportiva in October 1995 to air football and other sports
Fox Sports 2 -Launched as Fox Sports+ in October 2009 to air football and UFC
Fox Sports 3 -Launched as Speed Channnel in November 2012 to air motor sports
Fox Sports Premium — Additional pay-TV channel that was launched in April 2022 to air the Mexican football matches from free-to-air airing on State television, such as the Liga MX (National First Division).
Programming
Fox Sports Mexico broadcasts sports-related programming 24 hours a day in Spanish. The network carries a wide variety of sports events, including soccer (UEFA Europa League, Liga MX etc.), NFL, MLB, UFC, Formula 1 racing and WWE programming. Fox Sports also airs talk shows (NET: Nunca es tarde) as well as other programming including exercise programs.
