These days, it feels like every major sporting event hops from channel to channel without any sort of rhyme or reason. From ESPN to NBC Sports to AT&T SportsNet and beyond, live sports are getting increasingly hard to pin down to any one channel. We can’t forget about Fox Sports, either. (Or, as they’re more commonly known, FS1 and FS2.) What channel is FS1 on your DirecTV guide? Here’s where you need to look to catch every big event airing on these channels.
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Pick your choice of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Plans start as low as $4.99/month for ESPN+ only.
Free trial available. Watch 75+ channels, including local channels and special premium channel offers.
Take a 7-day free trial and stream more than 70 channels live. Record your favorites with unlimited DVR.
Fox Sports Channel Guide
| Channel Name | DirecTV Channel Number |
|---|---|
| Fox Sports 1 (FS1) | 219 |
| Fox Sports 2 (FS2) | 618 |
The History of Fox Sports
©Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock.com
Given its huge selection of live events and leagues, you might assume that Fox Sports’s origins date back decades. In truth, FS1 and FS2 are relatively recent inventions. Of course, Fox’s broadcast network has been broadcasting major sporting events since it signed a contract with the NFL in the ’90s. However, the establishment of FS1 and FS2 didn’t come about until 2013. As Fox’s sports offerings became greater and greater, the broadcaster knew it would need to establish a designated sports network or two.
FS1 and FS2 serve two purposes for Fox. They’re a place for all its sports offerings to live without having to interrupt Fox’s broadcast schedule. Plus, they offer a way for Fox to better compete with ABC, NBC, and CBS. Both FS1 and FS2 were launched on the same day: August 17th, 2013. FS1 took over Speed, a motorsports network. Similarly, FS2 took over the extreme sports network Fuel TV. With this move, the network had more than just a leg to stand on in the ever-growing live sports market. It had two.
Interestingly enough, this wasn’t Fox’s first foray into designated sports networks. Fox Soccer existed from 1997 to 2013. It was shuttered when FS1 and FS2 emerged. FXX replaced it. Today, FS1 airs major league and college baseball (plus college football and basketball), major league and FIFA soccer games, and a handful of motorsports competitions. FS1 also has a selection of daily sports news, talk shows, and documentaries. FS2 is home to more overruns than anything. If a game goes too long on FS1, it gets sent over to FS2 to finish up.
FS1 and FS2 Sister Stations
| Bally Sports (Regional) |
| Fox Sports Racing |
| Fox Soccer Plus |
| Fox Deportes |
| Big Ten Network |
Fox Sports Programming
©History-Computer.com
Now that we have a good grasp on the history of (and distinctions between) FS1 and FS2, let’s talk about what you’re most likely to see on one of these stations on a typical day. From the selection of live sporting events to the variety of news and talk shows available, these are the types of programs you’ll typically encounter on FS1 and FS2.
Sporting Events
As of this writing, FS1 and FS2 have the rights to a ton of different live sporting events. The selection includes Major League Baseball, the World Baseball Classic, and college football and basketball. The networks also offer boxing, horse racing, bowling, motorsports, rugby and soccer. You can also find more obscure sports like dog shows and wrestling.
News and Talk
Like any other major sports network, FS1 also has a roster of news and talk programming. The Carton Show airs weekday mornings, followed by Undisputed. In the afternoons, it’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd and First Things First. Speak! wraps things up and leads into the evening’s sports offerings. Weekends and nights have seasonal news and talk shows revolving around specific sports.
