A source close to negotiations said that adding sports to Fandango was something Versant had been thinking about since the NBCU split, and soccer presented a great opportunity given the young demos that the sport delivers. The source added that the goal is establish sports viewing habits at Fandango and fill out the platform with other sports in the future.
USA Network already airs Premier League games. There may be opportunities for doubleheaders with the Bundesliga on the cable TV network.
Austermann noted the Bundesliga will have to educate and shift fans to USA Network and Fandango, but he also gave credit to Versant CEO Mark Lazarus and USA Sports President Matt Hong in convincing the league that this move could work.
