Fox Sports confirms TV broadcast talks with Atlanta United

With only about eight months left for Atlanta United to get things in order, Atlanta's future TV broadcast deal has seemingly fallen out of the Atlanta soccer community's consciousness, especially with the excitement over the latest player rumors and signings. However, one media outlet has said they've had discussions with the club about a potential partnership.

Fox Sports has confirmed to Dirty South Soccer that they've held talks with the team regarding a potential TV broadcasting partnership. Atlanta United declined to give any specifics to the ongoing conversations, but did say the club has "been talking to numerous potential partners regarding broadcasting rights."

Fox Sports is seen as the logical choice to broadcast Atlanta United matches in 2017 especially with their reach and viewership across the Southeast region. But, potential scheduling conflicts with three other professional teams already on the network (Hawks, Braves, Dream) could force the club to partner with a local TV network.

It's tough to say when a TV broadcast deal must be finalized in order to comply with MLS standards that all matches must be streamed. Orlando City announced their deal December 16, 2014 with their local ABC affiliate while NYCFC announced their broadcast partnership on December 18, 2014. If history tells us anything, chances are a TV deal could be announced before the new year.

Stay tuned...