It’s no secret that we’ve been critical of FOX Sports’ poor soccer coverage during the past two years where they’ve committed a catalog of mistakes and thumbed its noses at its core soccer audience. Thankfully, FOX Sports is beginning to see the light based on a few improvements they’ve made during the past week. FOX isn’t in the clear yet, but they are taking the baby steps necessary to help regain the faith of some soccer fans.
For the week of October 1-6, here are the highs and lows of the soccer viewing experience in the United States:
Highs
1. FOX Sports is getting serious about its soccer coverage
With Gus Johnson deciding to quit his role as the lead soccer commentator at FOX Sports, the network’s soccer coverage automatically improved overnight. But with Gus gone, the network quietly secured the talent last week of Ross Dyer as one of its newest commentators, where he’ll be working for FOX and ESPN this season.
For viewers who have watched beIN SPORTS, Dyer will be a familiar voice. The Everton supporter often commentated Championship Playoff Finals as well as other Anglo-centic games for the Miami-based network. But his talents at beIN SPORTS were underutilized.
After commentating several games for ESPN Radio during World Cup 2014, Dyer made his debut on FOX Sports last week as the presenter of the MultiMatch 90 programming in addition to commentating one of the Europa League games alongside Brian McBride.
While it’s still early days for Dyer at FOX, he’s already made an immediate impact given the enthusiasm and knowledge of the game, as well as his ability to know how to announce a game, which comes naturally for the much-traveled Englishman.
Another example of Dyer’s positive impact that he’s had on FOX Sports in just a week is the way that he and McBride commentated the Europa League games. The much-improved McBride had a new lease of life alongside Dyer, and sounded far more confident, comfortable and enthusiastic than he normally does.
Meanwhile, based on FOX’s UEFA Champions League coverage last week, the quartet of Rob Stone, Warren Barton, Eric Wynalda and McBride are making more of a conscious effort to improve their coverage. They’re not “phoning it in” as they’ve done in the past 1-2 years. You can tell that they’re doing more research of the different teams and players ahead of time. And while not close to perfect, they are showing a slight improvement.
Last but not least, FOX’s soccer reporter Grant Wahl finally made a meaningful contribution to the network by revealing the exclusive that Vincent Tan is one of the investors interested in acquiring Chivas USA. Wahl revealed the news as an exclusive to FOX Sports during its UEFA Champions League coverage, with the news being announced minutes later in Wahl’s column on Sports Illustrated.
The timing of the news as well as Wahl revealing the exclusive on FOX’s UEFA Champions League show was perfect and in stark contrast to the past 12 months where Wahl has been featured very prominently on the network without adding anything new or interesting than what most soccer fans already knew online.
2. Pre-match interviews with commentators
NBCSN has been conducting more pre-match interviews with announcers, live from the stadium, before Premier League matches this season. The trend is a refreshing one because it creates more of an emotional connection between the viewer and “the voice” behind the mic. In the example of Sunday’s Manchester United against Everton match, the pre-match interview with commentator Peter Drury was a joy to watch and listen to. It’s not that often that we even get to see what commentators look like on television, so more of the same please NBCSN!
Lows
1. NBCSN makes a rare but significant misstep
Most soccer fans will have missed it given the timing of the early kick-offs on Sunday, but NBCSN’s pre-match coverage of a Premier League game hit a low for the first time in its 12 month+ coverage of the league. Surprisingly, someone at NBC Sports approved the decision to use computer-generated footage from the FIFA 15 video game in NBCSN’s pre-match analysis.
NBCSN automatically cheapened its level of analysis (which has been one of its strong points and key differentiators to date) by having Robbie Mustoe and Kyle Martino talk over a computer simulation of Chelsea-Arsenal. As the goals went in during the 3-3 simulation, Mustoe and Martino discussed the threats both teams imposed. But it was a cheap trick by the broadcaster. How much did EA Sports pay NBC Sport Group to incorporate the blatant advertisement for the video game? Not only did it cheapen NBC’s coverage, but it also undermined the expertise and integrity of Mustoe and Martino.
There are plenty of more impactful ways that NBCSN could have featured FIFA 15 advertising in the pre-match coverage of its Premier League games, but the decision they made was the worst possible one. If FOX Sports had made the same call, they would have been crucified.
2. Technical issues during NBCSN’s coverage
Maybe it was issues out of their control or just gremlins in the system, but NBCSN’s almost always impeccable Premier League coverage had technical issues over the weekend. These were thankfully isolated, but issues with displaying the West Brom starting lineup before the Liverpool game, and a video issue trying to cue up a video segment on Jose Mourinho are worrying signs. Hopefully, these are just rare occurrences and similar mistakes won’t happen again.
3. Annoying soccer co-commentator on beIN SPORTS
After watching the Udinese-Cesena match on beIN SPORTS this past weekend, I hope I don’t have the misfortune of having to listen to co-commentator Matteo Bonetti again. Some voices are meant for soccer commentary. Bonetti’s high-pitched voice certainly isn’t.
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G
February 19, 2017 at 5:27 pm
You’ve mistaken Matteo Bonetti for Andres Cordero. This still doesn’t matter as both of them are more knowledgeable of world football than all of fox and nbcsn’s commentators put together. I dont mind commentators who don’t have the most pleasing voices ( all American commentators… every single one) but make up for it with extensive knowledge and expertise
Matteo Bonetti
December 19, 2014 at 9:33 am
Hey Christopher,
Was turned to this by a co-worker who also met you when you came to beIN Sports to appear on The Locker Room a year or two ago, when we also met and spoke at length…
This is why I find myself surprised that my name would pop up here, given that it was not my voice doing Udinese vs. Cesena, but that of our international feed commentator.
I’ve been told my voice is quite deep, the opposite from high-pitched. I appreciate constructive criticism, but this piece is simply misinformed.
Cheers.
Christopher Harris
December 19, 2014 at 9:50 am
Hi Matteo, it was definitely you and Phil commentating the game. Maybe it was a different game than Udinese-Cesena (it’s been a few months now). It wasn’t high pitched the whole game. Just during some of the exciting moments.
Marc L
October 24, 2014 at 10:21 pm
There will be no true improvement until Wynalda is eliminated for once and all.
Oddly, I have even known a KNOWLEDGEABLE football fan who made the case for Gus. I didn’t agree, but respect the guy the guy who made the argument otherwise.
But I have never, EVER talked to someone who did not hate Wynalda.
Christopher Harris
October 25, 2014 at 6:57 am
FOX recently signed Wynalda to a new lucrative contract partly because Gus Johnson insisted on Wynalda being his co-commentator, so Wynalda isn’t going anywhere.
David the Yank
October 17, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Where are the NBC Extra Time overflow channels on Time Warner Cable here in NYC? The HD channels literally disappeared over the international break. Channels 390, 391, etc. have literally disappeared! There is no news on this so I think EPL fans are about to be shocked tomorrow at 10 am EDT.
scrumper
October 16, 2014 at 4:24 pm
They need to get away from the stupid pitch in the studio get up and lazing around on living room chairs like they’re waiting for a flight somewhere. They will never learn.
NashRambler
October 7, 2014 at 9:06 pm
Regarding the score ticker/crawl, a big improvement I’ve noticed this year for Fox Sports 1 is that they do not run the ticker during live Champions League matches.
The ticker has been a big source of negative comments on this site in prior Champions League seasons so I think it is only fair to say thank you to Fox Sports for responding to the complaints of soccer fans by removing such an obtrusive annoyance from the live broadcasts.
t
October 8, 2014 at 10:08 am
true but they still stick up those giant captions that block the ball and repeat the exact same info that’s on the top left corner. Clearly their director(or whoever is calling for the captions) has zero clue about the game!
Awful Awful Knight
October 7, 2014 at 6:06 pm
My big problem with FOX is the “crawl” being used indiscriminately during match replays. My cable provider does not carry Fox Sports 2, so the Sporting Lisbon v. Chelsea match was only available to me as a replay on Fox Sports 1 at Midnight.
When I went to watch the match on my DVR the next day (having taken great care to avoid spoilers, mind you), within 2 minutes of the starting kick the bloody crawl was displaying THE FINAL SCORE OF THE MATCH I WAS ABOUT TO WATCH.
Way to go, Fox. We can see how much you care about your audience.
Andy
October 13, 2014 at 11:13 am
The problem is with your TV provider, or the TV package you’ve purchased. FOX already aired the match live.
Plus, withholding results for tape delayed matches are long gone in this day in age. That only worked back in the early 90’s.
Cantona
October 7, 2014 at 5:29 pm
Bein have two new announcers Cordero and Bonetti and they are both horrible, Bein has to start getting some world class talent and quit promoting their interns and Goltv rejects. Why they think broadcasting from a 10×10 room in Miami is authentic I’ll never understand. Ross Dyer was the best commentator their and a coup for Fox and Espn to get.
Fox’s other Europa League commentators are bad, really makes the tournament unwatchable, only stream these games.
Has Fox really made inroads to their coverage? I guess we will know when the announce a lead announcer, until then I’m a little wary of stating they are changing for the better.
Nbc’s commentator interaction prior to games has been great, I haven’t seen Peter Drury in years.. Yes more of this.
Anyone hear Ian Darkes flub on the West Ham game? Seemed bewildered why a goal wa disallowed, when the free kick had clearly not left the penalty area.. Never saw that coming
Anyone see the Keyes and Gray show on Bein?! Great way to start off a Friday, insightful and goods guests, well done production.
Cantona—
goatslookshifty
October 7, 2014 at 5:02 pm
The Champions League on FOX have to get a new sponsor. If I see that bloke play the drums, parachute or boot the ball away one more time…
Cody
October 7, 2014 at 5:06 pm
That’s a Heineken commercial & I believe they are a worldwide champions league sponsor, not just Fox.
At least we don’t have to sit through the Gazprom commercials, they are even worse.
Christopher Harris
October 7, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Correct, the Heineken commercials are a prerequisite for any TV rights owner of Champions League coverage. FOX doesn’t receive a dime from the Heineken commercials. UEFA does.
Joe
October 7, 2014 at 4:42 pm
I appreciate the thorough comentary.
I strongly disagree on your thoughts on Matteo Bonetti. He’s an awesome commentator. I realize we have our subjective views on Bonetti. However, objectively speaking, his voice is not high-pitched. Maybe nasal, but not high-pitched.