Fox Sports 2 is more or less a real thing now

The fact that Fox is launching not one but two networks has more or less been openly bandied about since the announcement of Fox Sports 1 back in the spring. The network has never openly said that Fox Sports 2 is coming, but they’ve never once denied it. In the last few days, some pretty obvious giveaways have suggested that many homes will have two shiny new Fox Sports networks on August 17th.

Fuel TV basically let the cat out of the bag for good this week, as our pals at Awful Announcing discovered on Thursday. The network’s website has let loyal viewers know that much of their beloved UFC programming is moving to FS1 and that Fuel TV will become Fox Sports 2 on August 17th. There it is, in plain internet English. Fox Sports 2 is A Real Thing.

What will you see on Fox Sports 2 that isn’t on Fox Sports 1? At first, not much. The lone original programming appears to be additional UEFA Champions League matches. You’ll see daily reruns of potentially signature programs Fox Sports Live, Fox Football Daily and Crowd Goes W!ld an hour after they air live on FS1. Some additional NASCAR, UFC and CONCACAF Champions League soccer will also air.

The wild card that may make Fox Sports 2 worth a click over just in case you came home an hour late for Regis Philbin? Rugby and Aussie Rules Football! Yes, it appears that Fox Sports 2 will take over the mantle from Fox Soccer and Fox Soccer Plus and air AFL Premiership Football and NRL Rugby on the weekends, according to this schedule.

So there you have it, the big question all of us sports media folks have been trying to nail down an answer to for the past six months. There are obviously other questions to be asked, like when Fox Sports starts using FS2 as a venue for major programming (college football, major UFC, etc.) and whether or not that network might start developing its own original shows. I’m thinking a Crowd Goes W!ld aftershow myself. Anyway, Fox Sports 2... coming Aug. 17, also!