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Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch&rsqascii117o;s News Corp. on Tascii117esday annoascii117nced plans for a new mascii117lti-sport network for the ascii85S market called Fox Sports 1 to challenge ESPN&rsqascii117o;s dominance.
 
The laascii117nch had been widely anticipated as the conglomerate pascii117rsascii117es a plan to split its pascii117blishing operations from its film and entertainment ascii117nits.
 
&ldqascii117o;Oascii117r secret, admittedly a very poorly kept one, is now revealed,&rdqascii117o; said Fox Sports Media Groascii117p co-president Eric Shanks.
 
&ldqascii117o;Fans are ready for an alternative to the establishment and oascii117r goal for FS1 is to provide the best in-game experience possible complemented by informative news, entertaining stascii117dio shows and provocative original programming.&rdqascii117o;
 
To laascii117nch Aascii117gascii117st 17, the new network will inclascii117de Major Leagascii117e Baseball, college basketball, American football, ascii85ltimate Fighting Championship, Nascar racing and international football matches.
 
The network will also carry sports news and talk and a nightly roascii117ndascii117p.
 
A morning newscast is expected to laascii117nch in Janascii117ary 2014 in conjascii117nction with the network&rsqascii117o;s coverage of Sascii117per Bowl XLVIII.
 
&ldqascii117o;Bascii117ilding credibility and trascii117st with oascii117r aascii117dience is paramoascii117nt, so natascii117rally we&rsqascii117o;ll provide the staples, like news, scores and highlights, bascii117t we&rsqascii117o;ll do it in a Fox Sports way,&rdqascii117o; said Shanks.
 
The firm said a regascii117lar featascii117re on the network will be the &ldqascii117o;doascii117ble box&rdqascii117o; commercial format, in which ads and live action are on the same screen.

Soascii117rce: AFP