Fox Sports 1, 21st Century Fox’s ESPN killer, is struggling to break out in the increasingly crowded TV sports space. Launched in 2013, the cable network has shaken up programming, hired big name talent and brought in a new president, Jamie Horowitz, whose inauspicious stint at the Today show in 2014 was over before it officially began.
Horowitz was hired a year ago this month to fix Fox Sports 1. And it appears he’s looking to corporate sibling Fox News for ideas.
“Fox News positioned itself as provocative and opinion oriented,” Horowitz tells the WSJ’s Joe Flint. “I believe Fox Sports 1 can take a similar tack.” Here’s how he’s doing it, reports Flint:
One of Mr. Horowitz’s first moves was plucking Colin Cowherd from ESPN. Mr. Cowherd, who has an everyman’s approach to sports talk and a loyal following. “The Herd” is averaging 57,000 viewers, a small number but an improvement of more than 40% in its time slot. “People seem to think Colin is a more natural fit at Fox than he was at ESPN,” Mr. Horowitz said.
Katie Nolan, a homegrown talent who has gained a following for her willingness to call out bad behavior and hypocrisy in sports, will also be featured prominently. “There is fearlessness to her and a level of insight she brings to the table,” Mr. Horowitz said.