Network Fox Sports Networks Language English | Country United States | |
Launched September 1, 1996 (1996-09-01) Owned by Fox Entertainment Group
(21st Century Fox) Picture format 720p (HDTV)
480i (SDTV) | ||
Fox Sports Arizona is an American regional sports network that is owned by Fox Cable Networks, a unit of the Fox Entertainment Group division of 21st Century Fox, and operates as an affiliate of Fox Sports Networks. The channel broadcasts professional, collegiate and high school sports events, with a primary focus on Phoenix area teams. It is available on most cable providers throughout Arizona; Fox Sports Arizona is also available nationwide on satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network.
Contents
Overview
The channel originally launched as Prime Sports Arizona on September 1, 1996, serving as an affiliate of the Prime Network. Two months later on November 1, the channel was rebranded as Fox Sports Arizona, after Liberty Media sold the Prime Network to News Corporation, with Prime's regional networks serving as the cornerstone of the new Fox Sports Net chain of regional sports networks (which Liberty originally co-owned in a joint venture with News Corporation).
Fox Sports Arizona holds the regional cable television rights to three of the four major professional sports franchises in the Phoenix area: the Arizona Diamondbacks (Major League Baseball, with rights to most regular season games), the Phoenix Suns (NBA, with rights to most regular season and early-round playoff games) and the Arizona Coyotes (NHL, also with rights to most regular season and early-round playoff games), as well as the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA). In addition, Fox Sports Arizona also televises collegiate sports events involving the Arizona State Sun Devils, as well as a number of events from other teams of the Pac-12 Conference.
Fox Sports Arizona formerly held the broadcast rights to select Arizona Wildcats sporting events from its inception until the spring of 2009; the University of Arizona shifted these event telecasts to the Arizona Wildcats Sports Network, beginning in August 2009; these game telecasts have been simulcast by Fox Sports Arizona since September 2010.
Fox Sports Arizona Plus
Fox Sports Arizona launched an alternate feed, Fox Sports Arizona Plus, on April 25, 2008. Created as an overflow active only during instances in which a sporting event that Fox Sports Arizona holds rights to overlaps with another game being broadcast on the primary channel, it was established to resolve scheduling conflicts involving the 2008 NBA Playoffs Game 3 matchup between Phoenix Suns and a scheduled Arizona Diamondbacks game on that date. Fox Sports Arizona Plus was available on select cable providers including Cox Communications and Qwest Choice TV, and via satellite on Dish Network.