Big Game?

CABLE WORLD STAFF

Losers Score for Fox Fox Sports had to work hard to broadcast a football game between losing teams.

It took several days of intense haggling for Fox Sports Net 2 to gain the rights to televise the traditional match-up between the University of Southern California and UCLA over the weekend.

Usually the game's a hot ticket, but both teams have fallen so far this season that ABC decided to give up its broadcast rights to the UCLA/USC game six days before kickoff.

"I think it's because both teams were so far down in the hole, and viewers have been getting mad when we air local teams while the others out of the area are winning that we decided to bail the game," says an ABC employee who asked to remain anonymous.

Instead, ABC decided Nov. 14 to air Oregon versus Oregon State, leaving Fox with the UCLA-USC game.

Even though the teams might be losers this season, Fox Sports Net 2 might actually win viewers.

Last week, Comcast agreed to carry Fox Sports Net 2 in three new Southern California regions - Orange County, Simi Valley and Ontario - a potential 6 million extra eyes. Not a bad catch of viewers, especially for a losers' match.

"We were really lucky," says Dennis Johnson, public relations director for Fox Sports Net 2. "And even though it's not a big game nationally, it's a city game so many UCLA and USC alumni watch it. It gives them bragging rights."