Fox League

Discussion thread for Foxtel’s dedicated 24-hour rugby league channel.

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##fox League Queensland Tour 2017

Queensland NRL fans, get excited.
The on-air stars of FOX SPORTS’ brand new 24/7 rugby league channel, FOX LEAGUE, are coming to a town near you.
FOX SPORTS and Foxtel have joined forces to launch FOX LEAGUE On Tour, a 10-day roadshow through Queensland, featuring some of the biggest legends to have played the game, plus some well-known FOX SPORTS faces.
The FOX LEAGUE on Tour team will be out in the community visiting fans at schools and footy clubs, plus locals will be able to meet the stars at special Sportsman’s Nights and shows in each location.
Fans will be entertained by some of Queensland’s most loved players along with FOX SPORTS’ comedic duo ‘Fletch & Hindy’ and ‘The Professor’ across the Tour.

FOX LEAGUE ON TOUR SCHEDULE

CAIRNS
DATE: Monday 20 February
WHO: Justin Hodges, Gorden Tallis, Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh, James ‘The Professor’ Rochford, Andy Raymond
WHERE: The Jack Hotel, Spence St & Sheridan Street, Cairns City
WHEN: 6.45pm arrival

TOWNSVILLE
DATE: Tuesday 21 February
WHO: Justin Hodges, Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh, James ‘The Professor’ Rochford, Andy Raymond
WHERE: Townsville RSL, 139 Charters Towers Road, Hyde Park
WHEN: 6.45pm arrival

MACKAY
DATE: Wednesday 22 February
WHO: Justin Hodges, Gorden Tallis, Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh, James ‘The Professor’ Rochford, Andy Raymond
WHERE: Magpies Sporting Club, 1 Glenella Road, Glenella
WHEN: 6.45pm arrival

SUNSHINE COAST
DATE: Thursday 23 February
WHO: Justin Hodges, Kevin Walters, Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh, James ‘The Professor’ Rochford, Andy Raymond
WHERE: Maroochy RSL, Memorial Ave, Maroochydore
WHEN: 5.45pm arrival

BRISBANE
DATE: Monday 27 February
Details to be announced.

GOLD COAST
DATE: Monday 28 February
WHO: Corey Parker, Kevin Walters, Ryan James, Bryan Fletcher, Nathan Hindmarsh, James ‘The Professor’ Rochford, Andy Raymond
WHERE: Melbas on the Park, 45 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise
WHEN: 6.45pm arrival

Please note time, locations and participants are subject to change at FOX SPORTS’ discretion.
In addition to each of the Sportsman’s Nights, local fans will be able to meet the stars and grab an autograph and a photo at a special signing session in each location. Venues and times will be announced in the coming weeks.

I expected them to call the channel FOX NRL.

FOX League sounds more like the name of a sporting competiton that FOX has sponsored (which is what I thought this thread must have been about!).

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I think everyone did. Fox League sounds so bad…I hate it.

Perhaps maybe why they’ve called it this is due to licensing.

The “NRL” name is probably trademarked and thus why FOX can’t use it in a channel name?

Probably why their AFL channel has the more generic name of “FOX Footy” instead of “FOX AFL”

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But the NRL would have “NRL” trademarked? So I dont see why foxtel cant use “FOX NRL”

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They do have the show NRL 360, but perhaps they thought naming a whole channel that would make them sound like a bit of a competition mouthpiece. I don’t know.

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I think it’s called Fox League because it not just covers the NRL. It may show other rugby league competitions such as:
Holden Cup under-20s competition (this year will be its last)
NSW Cup
test matches involving Pacific nations
Four Nations
World Club Series
English Super League
UK Challenge Cup

Although it will be awkward for Fox League unable to show replays of Rugby League World Cup held here in October and November, unless it can come to terms with Seven which has the pay TV rights.

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fair enough.
And whats this about the 20s ending this year?

Scrapped and folded back into state leagues etc. it was glorified touch rugby anyway. No great loss and don’t think it was preparing players well for first grade.

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I’m surprised there’s hardly been any advertising to promote the new channel apart from the teaser ad that Fox Sports have been airing for the past month. It’s understandable that they probably don’t want to do a full ad blitz until closer until the NRL season begins when details of the channel are announced. However, you would think they would have started getting the word out that a 24/7 NRL channel will be launching in a matter of weeks.

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If you look at the Foxtel Guide, the 9s are on FOX Sports 4 505 - so it makes sense that FOX League will be 505 right next to FOX Footy on 504

Pages 2 and 3 of the Foxtel Magazine, and it still says “coming in 2017”

they had a mediaweek interview last year, the reason why they didn’t call it that was because of the Super League and other competitions that they will have the rights to

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Merely promoting it in a magazine that only some existing subscribers get isn’t going to let the general public know about Fox League and to encourage people to subscribe to Foxtel in order to get.

If you look back at the launch of Fox Footy, there were numerous promos aired during the 2011 offseason in order to get the word out:

The Sunday Telegraph says Steve “Blocker” Roach has signed a new three-year deal with Fox Sports and will become part of Fox League’s line-up this year.

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In a promo being run during the Auckland Nine’s coverage, it states that the channel will launch Monday February 27th

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I saw that when the 9s coverage started.
I dont know why they didnt just launch it today…

And its taking over the FoxSports2 Channel.

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Launch today then afterwards it’s a dead spot for 2 weeks until the season starts. Makes sense to launch when your panel shows etc are returning.

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Looking forward forward to seeing Fox league