Fox Sports 1, commonly abbreviated as FS1, has rapidly evolved into a fixture of the sports broadcasting landscape since first hitting the airwaves in 2013. It serves both hardcore fans and casual viewers through coverage of live events, news, and commentary across a growing roster of major leagues.
Launched to directly take on industry titan ESPN, FS1 programming can now be accessed by over 80 million households nationwide. And thanks to carriage through major pay TV providers like DirecTV, tuning in FS1 only requires a basic sports package subscription for satellite subscribers.
This guide will dive deep on everything FS1 – from its development origins to programming details to exactly how satellite customers can start watching through DirecTV channel packages. I‘ll also provide expert analysis on how FS1 stacks against ESPN and where things may be heading in the years to come based on over a decade of industry experience.
FS1 Origins and History
To understand FS1‘s launch and fast rise, you have to look at the landscape for Fox Sports pre-2013. At the time, Fox held rights to various sports programming but coverage was fragmented across regional networks, FX, Speed Channel, and elsewhere rather than centralized.
Leadership saw both an opportunity and an increasing necessity to change this. ESPN sat as the lone powerhouse destination sports network with increasing rights fees funded by its distribution and viewership dominance.
Fox Sports execs hoped to take on ESPN directly by consolidating assets into a competitive national network. But significant hurdles existed…
The Winding Road to a Flagship Fox Sports Outlet
Fox actually developed plans and began rallying support for a dedicated sports channel twice in the prior decades without following through.
First, as early as the mid-1990s, Fox aimed to parlay its newly won NFL rights into an entire national network. But disagreements around ownership structure ultimately killed momentum.
Renewed plans for a dedicated sports outlet surfaced again in 2006 alongside Fox‘s acquisition of Liberty Media‘s stake in DirecTV. But similar hesitations kept the concept on the backburner.
It wasn‘t until 2009 and 2010 when Fox wrapped up extended licensing agreements with both MLB and the NFL that the foundation truly set. The programming pieces were in place through long-term deals – now Fox needed distribution at scale.
Speed Channel Becomes the Building Block
Enter Speed Channel – the motorsports-centric network owned by Fox and received in roughly 81 million households at the peak of its reach.
Fox realized that transitioning Speed‘s infrastructure and audience to a general sports network could provide that necessary distribution scale and built-in niche. By early 2013, they formalized plans to utilize Speed as the backbone of Fox Sports 1.
The network ceased operations in mid August 2013, re-launching as Fox Sports 1 just days later on August 17th and inheriting virtually all of Speed‘s subscriber base.
An influx of multi-million dollar talent acquisitions, expanded programming commitments, and an influx of marketing dollars backed the ambitious effort to take on ESPN directly.
The Early Days of FS1 – Growing Pains but Clear Potential
Bolstered by live programming rights to motorsports, college football, MLB, and more, FS1 executives were extremely bullish on viewership potential out of the gates. Public comments even predicted FS1 could dethrone ESPN in as little as 4-5 years.
In hindsight, this seems foolish. But by consolidating niche sports audiences and leveraging Fox‘s existing relationships, there were signs FS1 could find its footing:
- Inheriting NASCAR and other motorsports fans provided an engaged anchor audience from day one. Over 1 million viewers tuned into FS1‘s first-ever NASCAR race broadcast.
- Fox committed $100 million to securing TV rights for new FS1 anchor programming like the UFC and Major League Baseball.
- Big name hires brought instant credibility – like luring polarizing personality Skip Bayless from ESPN.
- Fox planned to air an estimated 5,000+ hours of live event coverage in Year 1 – almost double what Speed Channel previously averaged.
But those early projections still proved overly optimistic. Some marquee programming commitments failed to draw viewers. An opening week college football game saw an alarming 55% ratings decline compared to past years. Average viewership lagged well below internal goals.
Yet, FS1 undeniably filled a void for fans – enough so to stabilize then steadily grow its audience against tough odds.
FS1 Today – Ratings, Programming, and Influence
After adjustments to programming formulas and tuning its brand identity, FS1 now stands on solid ground as I write this heading into 2023:
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Household Reach: FS1 finished 2022 available in around 81 million homes according to official filings. This represents growth of 2 million households year-over-year.
However, direct rival ESPN still maintains a comfortable edge in distribution scale at 86+ million households as of mid-2022.
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Average Audience: FS1 averaged 156,000 viewers per hour across 2022 based on Nielsen ratings. That reflects an 11% increase from 2021 as rights expansions aid viewership momentum.
In comparison, flagship leader ESPN topped over 600,000 average viewers last year. But FS1 has made up substantial ground – its audience is 5x higher than five years ago.
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Ad Revenue: SNL Kagan projects FS1 generated $828 million in advertising revenue in 2022 thanks to steady ratings growth and live sports‘ value. However, ESPN parent Disney brought in over $4 billion.
The numbers paint FS1 as an undisputed #2 sports outlet by regular viewership metrics. Yet, its viewers remain highly engaged – desirable to advertisers and programmers alike. Rights fees and production budgets have grown in lockstep with profit potential.
Let‘s analyze where FS1 makes its mark and where opportunities exist to keep pace with industry-leading ESPN…
As visualized above, FS1 counters ESPN‘s general sports dominance with elite coverage of motorsports, soccer, and niche sports. College football and basketball have emerged as FS1‘s biggest drivers – the Big Ten football championship drew over 4 million viewers last year.
Baseball and boxing rights help expand appeal to casual fans during those sports‘ seasons. And credible leads like Skip Bayless on debate programming ensure some mindshare year-round.
But ESPN is nearly impossible to touch for American staples like the NFL, NBA, college football playoff games, and more. Not to mention unrivaled brand value from decades in the space. FS1 must get creative leveraging exclusive international rights around events like World Cup soccer.
The rumored direct-to-consumer service forthcoming in Fox and DirecTV‘s new NFL Sunday Ticket deal could provide another leap if properly positioned. But as of now, FS1 remains a clear and distant second fiddle to ESPN in the American sports network race.
Accessing FS1 on DirecTV in 2023
For DirecTV satellite subscribers, access to FS1 programming starts at the base CHOICE package currently priced at $84.99 per month. Included alongside over 90 total channels, this package nets FS1 on:
DirecTV Channel 219 (FS1 HD on Channel 1219)
You can also catch FS1‘s sister/overflow network FS2 on channel 618 (or 1618 for HD).
With Fox Corporation‘s recent renewal and expanded rights deal for NFL Sunday Ticket still playing out, we could see FS1 bundled into special discounted offerings for satellite customers down the road. I‘d expect FS1 inclusion for free or at a steep discount should a DTC Sunday Ticket package emerge post-2023.
Until then, FS1 and FS2 inclusion on core channel packages for just $85 and up remains very reasonable compared to competitors:
- DirecTV Choice Package – $84.99/month – Includes FS1
- Comparable Dish Network Packages – Start at $89.99/month – Includes FS1
- YouTube TV – $64.99/month – Does not carry FS1
- Hulu Live TV – $69.99/month – Does not carry FS1
Given Fox Corporation‘s direct stake in DirecTV, expect the satellite provider‘s customers to receive preferential FS1 treatment for years to come.
The Road Ahead – What Does the Future Hold for FS1?
While predictions of overtaking ESPN seem far fetched now with a decade of evidence available, FS1 remains well-positioned. Distribution hurdles are mostly cleared. Viewership and revenue scale gradually every year. Fan affinity grows in lockstep.
Its niche sport dominance creates security. Partnerships overseas around soccer broadcasting offer plenty runway too. We could easily envision FS1‘s average audience topping 200-250 million viewers by the end of the decade.
Upcoming rights negotiation cycles will prove pivotal. FS1 aggressively needs to protect and expand holdings around college football (Big Ten), NASCAR, soccer, and MLB most importantly. Budget battles with Turner, NBC Sports, and CBS loom large.
Introducing a direct-to-consumer Fox Sports offering around NFL action seems imminent as well. This could provide interactive elements impossible via old-school cable broadcasts and greatly boost brand visibility with younger generations.
The roadmap might still contain a few major obstacles, but FS1 has cleared most credibly. Given Fox Corporation‘s patience and investment over 10 years now, I expect FS1 to thrive as a leader across specific sports niches for the long term future. It might not beat ESPN outright, but it has carved out a sustainable position.
The Bottom Line – Get FS1 on DirecTV without Breaking the Bank
In closing, I highly recommend all passionate sports fans look into accessing FS1 through a DirecTV subscription. The network provides easy access to thousands of hours of live events without demanding a massive premium.
FS1 converges niche sports coverage into a single destination – from NASCAR and NHRA racing to soccer, college football, MLB and much more. This guide outlined everything you need to know historically and today.
While it still trails behind ESPN in most key metrics and brand equity, FS1 continues gaining ground every year since launching in 2013. And thanks to FS1 carriage on basic DirecTV channel packages, it‘s cheaper to access hundreds of hours of premium national sports coverage compared to alternatives.
Give FS1 a fair look when considering TV provider options as a sports fan. Flip to channel 219 on DirecTV satellite today to check out the current programming for yourself.
