Country | Brazil |
---|---|
Network | ESPN International |
Headquarters | São Paulo |
Programming | |
Language(s) | Portuguese |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (downgraded to 16:9 480i for the SDTV) |
Ownership | |
Owner | The Walt Disney Company Latin America Disney Branded Television (Disney International Operations) |
History | |
Launched | ESPN4: February 5, 2012 ESPN5: January 24, 2014 |
Replaced | Speed |
Former names | Fox Sports (2012–2022) Fox Sports 2 (2014–2024) |
Links | |
Website | www |
ESPN4 is a Brazilian sports channel that was launched on 5 February 2012 as Fox Sports, replacing the Brazilian variant of Speed. A second channel, Fox Sports 2 was launched on 24 January 2014, which continues to use the Fox Sports name temporarily due to contractual obligations. On May 6, 2020 Brazil's antitrust regulator CADE announced that Fox Sports and ESPN Brasil could merge as part of the 21st Century Fox merger with Disney, with it remaining as-is until January 1, 2022 due to its broadcast rights and overall structure.[1]
Fox Sports main channel was rebranded as ESPN4 in Brazil on 17 January 2022, becoming the fourth network among those of the domestic version of ESPN. Fox Sports 2 remained on-air in Brazil under that name until February 15, 2024 and was renamed ESPN5, due to contractual language with CONMEBOL regarding its coverage of the 2022 Copa Libertadores and the retirement of Fox Sports' brand in Latin America (including Brazil).[2][3]