FIC Focuses on Sports Services in Latin America

LOS ANGELES: FOX International Channels (FIC) has purchased HM Capital Partners’ majority stake in the Fox Pan American Sports service in Latin America, along with announcing that it will launch Fox Sports in Brazil in February 2012.

FIC completed the purchase from HM Capital Partners of the majority interest in Fox Pan American Sports. "We have had a successful partnership with HM Capital for many years,” said David Haslingden, the president and COO of Fox Networks Group. “However, given the strategic importance of Latin America and Brazil and the power of sports programming to television audiences in the region, it made sense for us to acquire full ownership once the opportunity emerged.”

FIC is also bringing its Fox Sports channel to Brazil. The new Portuguese-language sports channel will be the only network in the country to carry live games of the Copa Santander Libertadores and Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana, the biggest inter club soccer tournaments in Latin America. Additionally, starting in the second half of 2012, Fox Sports in Brazil have at least two exclusive live games of the Barclays Premier League each week. “Brazil is the largest, fast-growing, sports-hungry pay TV market in the world,” said Hernan Lopez, the president and CEO of FIC. “We are very excited to bring the Fox Sports brand and content to its viewers.”

A number of personnel changes have been made at FIC as well. Carlos Martinez has been promoted to president of FIC Latin America and Emiliano Saccone will become president of entertainment at FIC Latin America. Martinez will continue to oversee affiliate sales, advertising sales, operations and strategy for the company’s basic and premium channels, and will also add the oversight of sports rights to his portfolio. Saccone will continue to oversee programming, production, marketing, on-air and online publishing, while adding editorial oversight of the company’s premium channels.