Gray, Keys Have 'Tickets To South Africa' For Fox Soccer Channel
Sky Sports Commentators Will Lead FSC's Coverage From 2010 World Cup
Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 1/10/2010 10:00:00 PM
Andy Gray has punched a ticket to visit South Africa for Fox Soccer Channel.
Gray, who calls Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League matches for Sky Sports in the U.K., will serve as one of the analysts for Fox Soccer Channel's Ticket To South Africa coverage from the 2010 FIFA World Cup this June and July.
Kicking off June 10, the day before the tourney begins, and airing as the final whistle blows each matchday, the one-hour, live Ticket to South Africa, will present a complete recap of every game and previews of upcoming contests from FSC correspondents at the venues.
Gray, the former Scottish international and English league player, who became better known to U.S. soccer fans with his work during ESPN's coverage of Euro 2008, will lead a crew of analysts that includes FSC's Christopher Sullivan and Warren Barton.
Richard Keys, Gray's frequent broadcast partner, will anchor Ticket to South Africa. A veteran play-by-play announcer of over 1,000 soccer match telecasts, Keys is the presenter of Sky Sports' flagship Barclays Premier League program Super Sunday.
"I am delighted join Fox Soccer Channel's respected on-air team this summer," said Gray. "The network speaks to an extremely knowledgeable and passionate audience, and I'm confident Ticket to South Africa will provide viewers with the most informative coverage of our sport's biggest event."
Added FSC senior vice president of programming and production Demot McQuarrie: "The addition of Andy Gray and Richard Keys to our on-air talent team means viewers will hear from two incredibly knowledgeable sources who have covered the game at its highest levels - on location in Europe and beyond - for years,"
Complementing Ticket to South Africa during the month-long tournament, FSC will feature expanded coverage with Fox Soccer Report and Sky Sports News, both featuring teams reporting live from South Africa.
The network this month will also beginning sizing up the contenders for the World Cup on an in-depth basis, with Passport to South Africa. The nine-episode series of 30-minute studio talks shows will focus on the 32 nations competing for the FIFA title, breaking down each country's group, how it qualified and its chances to take home the crown.
Starting Jan. 18 at 9:30 p.m. (ET), Passport will feature in-depth analysis, features and predictions from FSC's commentators, including Sullivan, Barton and Bobby McMahon (Fox Soccer Report's lead analyst), plus special guests.
Both Passport to South Africa and Ticket to South Africa will be televised in high-definition, where available.
FSC, which sources say is in negotiations to purchase premium programmer Setanta Sports USA, has been running bugs on its air and running other advertisements, noting that HD presentations will be coming in January.
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