US network Fox will show live coverage of the English FA Cup, the country’s top knockout football tournament, for the first time next month.
The network will provide live coverage of the West Ham United v Manchester United third-round match on January 5 and this season’s FA Cup final on May 11, 2013.
Coverage of the third-round game will be repeated later in the day on Fox Soccer, Fox’s football-dedicated pay-television channel, which will also show live coverage of the following day’s Swansea City v Arsenal FA Cup match.
Fox Soccer has rights for the FA Cup as part of a broader six-year deal, from 2012-13 to 2017-18, with the English Football Association, the sport’s governing body in England.
“We are committed to bringing the world’s most storied competitions and prestigious matches to soccer fans across the nation,” Fox Soccer’s executive vice-president and general manager, David Nathanson, said. “By making history and bringing such a famous property to a broader audience on Fox, we are showcasing some of the most intriguing storylines in all of sports.”