Media conglomerate News Corporation confirmed it is considering converting its US cable television motorsports channel Speed into a nationwide sports network.
“There’s a lot of optionality with Speed, and it could be turned into a broader sports network,” Fox Networks chief operating officer David Haslingden said, as reported by Bloomberg. “We haven’t decided yet whether we’ll do that, but it’s a great option we have.”
Speed is available in more than 80 million homes across North America and its transformation would pose a challenge to pay-television sports broadcaster ESPN’s position in the marketplace.
The report added that Fox would be able to partner the channel with its 20 regional networks, which broadcast professional and collegiate athletics to local US markets.
News Corporation’s interest in creating a cable sports network was first reported in March, although it was then believed that action sports channel Fuel would be converted.