ONE World Sports to Relaunch With Move to HD

ONE World Sports announced a major relaunch initiative this week, featuring a move to high definition signal delivery and a comprehensive new on-air, corporate and digital branding and graphics makeover.

ONE World Sports, which offers coverage of sporting events from around the globe, will go HD on Aug. 1. On the same date, the network will debut a stunning new on-air look, involving new branding, on-air graphics and a first-of-its-kind global sports ticker.

“We are executing on our longstanding vision of providing leadership and innovation in global sports programming,” said Alexander “Sandy” Brown, president and CEO of ONE World Sports. “We also plan to continue to add compelling new programming to our offerings at ONE World Sports. The move to HD and our highly differentiated, bold new graphics tee us up to drive our network to its next level of industry and consumer success.”

In addition to the significant investment in converting to HD, adding preeminent on-air sports talent and new domestic programming, ONE World Sports will relaunch its website and introduce a new app for mobile streaming of its content.  The completely redesigned website, developed by 2Advanced Studios, will serve up a much richer offering of video and original content. In parallel, an innovative sports-news ticker will become an integral part of on-air game graphics, delivering a dynamically updated information source that informs viewers on global sports happenings.

“The new branding, on-air graphics and website relaunch were designed to appeal specifically to our all-important target of millennials who are the most enthusiastic fans of global sports,” Brown said. “We are confident that the bold, clear graphics together with vivid colors create a distinctive, contemporary brand that resonates with 18- to 34 year olds.”

Programming additions include telecasts of seven homes games of the New York Cosmos, one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises, along with an original series celebrating the legendary team’s early history.

ONE World Sports’ new graphics and network logo were produced by the Eyeball design agency. An accompanying tagline of “Beyond Boundaries” speaks to the promise of a truly global sports programming on ONE World Sports that takes viewers beyond normal boundaries of sports on TV today, both geographically and emotionally. Recent research shows that 72% of sports fans and 60% of millennials have a keen interest in sporting competitions beyond the U.S. boundaries.

ONE World Sports Adds New York Cosmos
ONE World Sports will carry all seven home games of the New York Cosmos in high definition during the iconic soccer team’s return to the North American Soccer League.

The global sports network’s debut U.S. programming kicks off Aug. 3 when the Cosmos host the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University. The game will mark the start of the first season in the NASL this century for a team launched in 1971 as a founding franchise of the original NASL.

Some of the most colorful soccer players of all time filled the team’s roster during its early years, including Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and Giorgio Chinaglia. The Cosmos now return to inspire, develop and field new world-class players of the beautiful game.

“We are thrilled to be bringing the historic New York Cosmos franchise to viewers of ONE World Sports,” said Alexander “Sandy” Brown, president and CEO of ONE World Sports. “Our goal is to provide viewers a very unique perspective into the action on the pitch with an enhanced state of the art production.”

Also today, ONE World Sports announced the creation of a new series, Cosmos Classics. The first five episodes of Cosmos Classics will be broadcast on consecutive Saturdays in July, starting July 6, leading up to the season opener. Cosmos Classics revisits the halcyon days of the original Cosmos, setting the stage for its 21^st century reentry into the NASL. The series will be produced in partnership with production company Flagstaff Films, winner of multiple Peabody Awards and Emmy Awards.

Cosmos Classics will tap into the rich archives of the Cosmos legendary competitions and showcase some of the greatest moments in American soccer. Shep Messing, star goalkeeper with the Cosmos for seven NASL seasons in the 1970s, will host the series and provide personal insights and a behind-the-scene perspective on these memorable games.

“Shep is uniquely suited to offer his historical perspective to these classic games, as the Cosmos prepare to kick off a new season in a new century,” said Joel Feld, senior vice president production and executive producer at ONE World Sports.

The on-air team for Cosmos telecasts will be headed by well-known soccer commentator JP Dellacamera and former Cosmos’ goalkeeper, Shep Messing. Dellacamera, a 30-year veteran sportscaster, has called soccer matches on ESPN, NBC and Fox. Additional talent announcements for the telecasts will be made soon.

“We are delighted to have secured JP and Shep lead our on-air broadcast team,” Feld said. “Only an on-air team of their caliber could do justice to a franchise with such a storied and world-class legacy as the New York Cosmos.”