With 100-Day Countdown to World Cup™ Underway, Interactive Venue Will Showcase Key Partnership News, Expert Panels and a Celebration of Documentary Filmmaking

LOS ANGELES, CA – The road to Russia will go through Austin, Texas as the FOX Sports House opens March 9-12 at the 2018 South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals. With its sights on the World Cup™, FOX Sports kicks off a celebration of soccer at one of the world’s biggest interactive showcases for sports, innovation and the arts.

“FOX Sports and South by Southwest connect to people at the intersection of sport, culture and innovation,” says Robert Gottlieb, Executive Vice President of Marketing, FOX Sports. “At just under 100 days from broadcasting the world’s biggest sporting event, the FOX Sports House experience will be a key touchpoint in our journey. There’s no better time to partner with the festival in a big way for the first time.”

The FOX Sports House will feature expert panels connected to social media, technology and viewership in sports and serve as a hub for some of FOX Sports’ innovative brand partnership announcements ahead of the World Cup™. The venue is located in downtown Austin within walking distance of the Austin Convention Center at 318 Colorado Street. The SXSW Sports Festival Kickoff Party will be held at the FOX Sports House on the evening of Friday, March 9.

As a part of the house programming, Rachel Bonnetta will host a daily streaming FOX Sports show — a precursor to her Twitter show that’s set to air in Moscow during the World Cup™ this summer.

The FOX Sports house will also celebrate great documentary filmmaking. “Nossa Chape,” a film from Jeff and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars, Pelé: The Birth of a Legend) about the Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense’s tragic 2016 plane crash in Colombia. The film is part of the official features lineup at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and is the third documentary in FOX Sports Films’ new series, MAGNIFY, which leverages sports as a lens for examining important cultural stories.

The venue will also serve as a launching point for PHENOMS, a groundbreaking documentary series, chronicling the journey of the next generation of hopeful World Cup™ stars on their quests to represent their countries this summer.

FOX Sports will share more on the events soon, including registration details and the influential topics and names connected to the moments at the house.

About FOX Sports

FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com and FOX Sports GO. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About SXSW

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, TX, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film and music industries. The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features conference programming, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2018 will take place March 9- 18, 2018.