ESPN gets to KO another competitor

Of all the David vs. Goliath tales that might come before the Fox Sports 1 TV cameras in its inaugural year, it will take some doing to surpass the network’s own long-odds story.

When it debuts in 18 days, the fledgling 24-hour all-sports cable TV network will boldly raise its slingshot and take ambitious aim at behemoth ESPN.

"America’s New Sports Network" — as FS1 bills itself — attempts to become a "major player" in an industry where ESPN has taken a 33-year head start to become the acknowledged "worldwide leader" in sports media.

FS1’s stated intention is to become a free-spirited alternative to the entrenched ESPN. The game plan is to dethrone the established ESPN by appealing to the nation’s funny bone and selling Fox fun, as it were, with an eclectic lineup of personalities and ex-stars.

ESPN suggests it is hardly shaking in its earphones. "We like our position," ESPN spokesman Michael C. Humes wrote in an email. "We’ve always had vigorous competition, so there is nothing substantially new here."

But it is noteworthy ESPN did welcome back wayward son Keith Olbermann just as Fox is in the run-up to its Aug. 17 (2 a.m. Hawaii time) rollout.

Where CNNSI, NBC and CBS have been among those mounting charges before, now comes Fox promising a more light-hearted, free-wheeling approach to sports, beginning with its "Fox Sports Live" news and highlights show, a three-hour answer to SportsCenter. Regis Philbin is scheduled to host the sports entertainment program "Crowd Goes Wild," and "Football Daily" will call upon familiar faces from Fox’s Sunday NFL package and Brian Urlacher.

Fox’s initial lineup includes some Pac-12, Big 12 and Conference USA football in addition to NASCAR, UFC and Big East basketball. In 2014, Major League Baseball will be added and the network has eyes on other prizes, including the NFL, as they become available.

ESPN and ESPN2 are in 98.5 million households and FS1 is hoping to launch in 90 million, including major cable and satellite outlets.

FS1 is targeted to replace the Speed motorsports channel on most cable systems. That would be channels 214/1214 on the state’s biggest cable system, Oceanic, if its parent Time Warner, reaches an agreement with Fox. As of Monday, TWC spokeswoman Maureen Huff said there are continuing discussions but, so far, no agreement.

Hawaiian Telcom said it will carry FS1 on channels 75/1075. "FS1 will be included in all of our content packages; e.g., every Hawaiian Telcom TV subscriber will receive at least the standard def channel," spokesman Scott Simon said. "All HD subscribers will additionally receive the high def version."

As of the May Nielsen Survey, industry analysts say Oceanic is in 84.7 percent of all Hawaii TV households and newcomer Hawaiian Telcom in approximately 4 percent.

FS1 has its work cut out for it going up against ESPN, and don’t bet on any upset alerts anytime soon.

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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.