David Beckham's Soccer USA To Debut July 25
By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/17/2007 8:14:00 PM EDT
Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment and Major League Soccer’s Soccer United Marketing arm are teaming up to produce David Beckham’s Soccer USA, a 30-minute show that will air in the United States and around the world.
The show will debut next Wednesday, July 25, on Fox Soccer Channel, kicking off a 13-episode run. It will also be syndicated worldwide, with initial deals including Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, where it will air in prime time.
Hosted by U.K. television personality Natalie Pinkham, the show will follow Beckham in his first season with Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy.
It will feature game highlights as well as behind the scenes footage and interviews with Beckham, who made a high-profile move to the Galaxy after starring for European powerhouses Real Madrid in Spain and Manchester United in England.
The first episode will focus on this Saturday’s exhibition match between the Galaxy and English club Chelsea FC, during which Beckham could make his Galaxy debut if he can recover from a nagging ankle injury.
Executive producers on the show are Simon Fuller and Robert Massie from 19 Entertainment and Michael Cohen from Soccer United Marketing.
This marks the second major behind-the-scenes television project to focus on the Beckham’s after NBC aired its Victoria Beckham: Coming to America special Monday night.
The show averaged a 2.2 rating/7 share in the adult 18-49 demo, winning the 8 pm hour and improving 57% over the week-ago time period (an Age of Love repeat).
