Fox Sports International Reaches Exclusive Broadcast Agreement with DENTSU for the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005 and 2006
| Complete Tournament Coverage to Air via Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Espanol and Fox Sports Latin America |
Fox Sports International (FSI) has acquired the exclusive territorial broadcast rights for the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005 and 2006. The broadcast rights will cover the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America (excluding Brazil), and the Caribbean. Combined, the event will reach a cumulative audience of about 45 million viewers across FSI's channels that include Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol (U.S. and Caribbean); and Fox Sports Latin America (Mexico, Central and South America -- excluding Brazil).
"Already the home to the most comprehensive live international soccer programming across the globe, Fox Sports International is the perfect broadcast partner for the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005 and 2006," said David Sternberg, executive vice president and general manager of Fox Sports International. "This year's tournament participants represent the very best teams on the international stage, while the one-of-a-kind tournament will offer soccer enthusiasts the world over the ideal primer for our upcoming World Cup coverage."
Previously known as the Toyota Cup, the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup will be played annually amongst the six confederations that comprise FIFA. Among this year's participants are the winners of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia; Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) Champions League, Al Ahly of Egypt; CONCACAF 2005 Champions Cup, Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica; CONMEBOL 2005 Copa Libertadores, Sao Paulo FC of Brazil; OFC 2005 Club Championship, Sydney FC of Australia; and the UEFA 2005 Champions League, Liverpool FC of England.
The FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005 will open in Tokyo on Sunday, December 11 and will feature the qualifying teams from the Asian Football Confederation and the Confederation Africaine de Football. Live coverage is set to begin at 5:00 a.m. ET. Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Espanol and Fox Sports Latin America also will carry live coverage of the semifinals, 5th and 3rd place matches, as well as live coverage of the finals taking place in Yokohama, Japan on Sunday, December 18 at 5:00 a.m. ET.
FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005 Broadcast Schedule
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Date Teams Time (ET)
Quarterfinals
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December 11, 2005 Al Ittihad -- Al Ahly 5:00 a.m.
December 12, 2005 Sydney FC -- Deportivo Saprissa 5:00 a.m.
Semifinals
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December 14, 2005 W1 -- Sao Paulo FC 5:00 a.m.
December 15, 2005 W2 -- Liverpool FC 5:00 a.m.
Match for 5th place
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December 16, 2005 L1 -- L2 5:00 a.m.
Match for 3rd place
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December 18, 2005 L3 -- L4 2:00 a.m.
Finals
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December 18, 2005 W3 -- W4 5:00 a.m.
About Fox Sports International
Fox Sports International is an international sports programming and production entity housed within the Fox Cable Networks Group, one of the major operating units within Fox Entertainment Group (NYSE:FOX) and News Corporation (NYSE:NWS). FSI operates the programming services Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports Middle East, as well as a London-based programming syndication sales division, and is partnered with Global Television in Fox Sports World Canada. In 2002 it joined with Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. and Liberty Media Corporation to form Fox Pan American Sports LLC, one of the world's largest Spanish-language sports operations and programming ventures, spanning North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Through this joint venture, FSI manages the U.S. Spanish-language sports network Fox Sports en Espanol.
