Fox Soccer Channel Welcomes Eric Wynalda as New Co-Host of Fox Football Fone-In

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fox Soccer Channel today announced that National Soccer Hall of Fame member and former U.S. National Team star Eric Wynalda will join Nick Webster as the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In.

“As a former player and passionate soccer fan myself, I tuned in weekly to enjoy the lively debate on Fox Football Fone-In, and I couldn’t be happier to now be sitting alongside Nick as a co-host”

The live call-in show’s sixth season will premiere on Monday, Aug. 10, moving to its new time of 7-9 p.m. ET weekly.

“Fox Football Fone-in has been an entertaining forum for true soccer enthusiasts for the last five years. Eric’s experiences will bring a fresh outlook to the show, invigorating the dialogue with our most passionate viewers,” said Dermot McQuarrie, Fox Soccer Channel’s Senior Vice President of Programming and Production.

As a player, Wynalda enjoyed considerable success for both club and country. After starring at San Diego State University, he earned his first cap with the U.S. National Team at age 20 and subsequently a spot on the 1990 FIFA World Cup™ roster. Professionally, Wynalda played for the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks of the American Professional Soccer League before moving to Bundesliga club Saarbrucken in 1992, making him the first American-born player to play for a top-level German team. With the launch of Major League Soccer in 1996, Wynalda returned to America to play for the San Jose Clash, scoring the first goal in league history and garnering U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year honors that year. After playing in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups as well, Wynalda retired in 2000 as the all-time leading goal scorer in American history, and turned his attention to broadcasting.

Previously, Wynalda worked as a commentator for ESPN on FIFA World Cup™, Major League Soccer and NCAA match telecasts.

“As a former player and passionate soccer fan myself, I tuned in weekly to enjoy the lively debate on Fox Football Fone-In, and I couldn’t be happier to now be sitting alongside Nick as a co-host,” said Wynalda. “If there’s one thing I’ve hung my hat on throughout my broadcasting career, it’s that I refuse to bite my tongue. Fox Football Fone-In viewers can expect Nick and me to always tell it like it is, even if that means disagreeing with each other – and our callers!”

Set in a radio-style studio, Fox Football Fone-In gives America’s soccer fans the ultimate say, and provides a live and dynamic forum for soccer enthusiasts to share their views weekly on a variety of topics and news items. Viewers are encouraged to call 1-888-FOX-FANS or TEXT 32369 to voice their opinions on England’s Barclays Premier League, MLS, the U.S. National Team, global leagues and tournaments as well as the rumors, scandals and trades surrounding soccer worldwide. Everything is up for discussion, and no soccer subject is taboo!

About Fox Soccer Channel

Fox Soccer Channel offers the most comprehensive coverage of world-class soccer available in the United States, including Major League Soccer, England’s Barclays Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, Women’s Professional Soccer, the Argentine First Division and the Australian Hyundai A-League, as well as such global tournaments as the English FA Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, CONCACAF Champions League™, 2010 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers and the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup™. Beginning in August 2009, Fox Soccer Channel will be the primary U.S. television destination for the UEFA Champions League, with additional coverage on a number of other Fox-affiliated networks. The Official Broadcast Partner of the United States Youth Soccer Association, Fox Soccer Channel also televises the United Soccer Leagues and NCAA Division I college men’s and women’s soccer. The Nielsen-rated channel reaches more than 34 million cable and satellite households nationwide.

Fox Soccer Channel is one of 28 national and regional programming networks within Fox Networks Group, an operating unit of the News Corporation (NYSE:NWS). These broadcast, cable, satellite and telephony delivered networks reach more than half a billion U.S. television homes, and represent one of the media industry's most diverse collections of programming operations. Fox Networks Group consists of FOX Sports, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Cable Networks and Fox Networks Engineering & Operations. For more information, visit America’s most visited online soccer destination at foxsoccer.com.

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