Fox Sports is facing another setback as it loses broadcasting rights to the Kings League Americas and Queens League Americas, which are set to air on ESPN and Disney+. This development means fans will no longer see their favorite football 7 events featuring teams led by notable internet personalities and former footballers like Javier "Chicharito" Hernández's team, Olimpo United, on Fox Sports.
This change is part of a troubling trend for Fox Sports, which has recently experienced significant losses of programming. Notably, the network lost both the FA Cup and Premier League rights, which have now transitioned to Tubi, another streaming service that's also the home to Liga MX and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Kings League and Queens League—Latin America's versions of the successful European leagues—have also sought more prominent broadcasting partners, as Fox Sports relegated these leagues to secondary channels and social media platforms.
According to ESPN's official social media accounts, fans can now look forward to the leagues, stating, "¿Están listos? Vas a poder disfrutar En Vivo la Kings League y la Queens League Américas por Espn y Disney Plus. ¡Los esperamos!" This transition reflects not just the leagues’ ambitions for greater visibility but also the growing dissatisfaction with Fox Sports offerings.
Fox Sports has faced additional challenges with rights to the NFL, reportedly losing several weeks of games during the 2024 season but managing to retain rights to the Super Bowl LIX. The company's struggle to maintain high-profile sports events is evident as they relinquish rights to numerous major competitions. Their portfolio is now missing key pieces like the FA Cup, Premier League, and even the WWE, alongside various Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil teams.
For example, notable Liga MX entity León and Liga MX Femenil team Rayadas are also no longer members of Fox Sports’ programming network. This paints a grim picture of their sports broadcasting status, jeopardizing their ability to provide strong programming options to customers, advertisers, and subscribers as they move through 2025.
The Kings League and Queens League, having made considerable strides and gaining significant popularity, opted for stronger partners to distribute their product. With growth spurred on by their European counterparts, the leagues are clearly on the lookout for broadcasting strength to get their message out effectively.
Fox Sports currently retains broadcasting rights for several sports events, including Formula 1, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Conference League. Yet, the absence of their former marquee events, particularly the English Premier League, leaves them with less competitive leverage.
This downward trend for Fox Sports raises questions about its strategy and the road forward for the channel. Without the strong sports portfolio it once had, particularly leading the year with significant leagues, the challenge will be to bolster its offerings and regain the interest of its audience.
There’s no doubt Fox Sports finds itself at a crossroads, with increasing competition from streaming services like ESPN and Tubi reaping the rewards of their recent transitions. Whether they can flip the script and secure new rights or shake off their current misfortunes remains to be seen as the sports broadcasting scene evolves rapidly.
Moving forward, the decline of programming may require Fox Sports to reassess its tactics and create a more ambitious acquisition strategy to reclaim its former sports strength—that is, if it can keep pace with the changing likes and needs of sports enthusiasts of all demographics.