FOX Sports signs Ian Joy from beIN SPORTS to boost its soccer coverage

FOX Sports signs Ian Joy from beIN SPORTS to boost its soccer coverage
beIN SPORTS co-commentator and analyst Ian Joy is moving to FOX Sports to be a soccer host/analyst in Los Angeles, two sources have confirmed to World Soccer Talk. A source revealed to World Soccer Talk that “beIN SPORTS has been … Continue reading →

beIN SPORTS co-commentator and analyst Ian Joy is moving to FOX Sports to be a soccer host/analyst in Los Angeles, two sources have confirmed to World Soccer Talk.

A source revealed to World Soccer Talk that “beIN SPORTS has been fantastic” to Ian, but that Joy decided not to renew his contract and believes now is an ideal time to join FOX Sports given the recent acquisition haul of the World Cup, Women’s World Cup and Bundesliga, as well as other properties.

For soccer fans, Ian Joy is a familiar voice from his co-commentary of Championship playoff finals, Copa America and New York City FC games.

As a former footballer who played in the Bundesliga for two different clubs, it’s possible that the acquisition of Joy is to help out FOX Sports’ coverage of the Bundesliga, which will kick off on Saturday with the German Super Cup between Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg on FOX Soccer Plus (see the complete Bundesliga TV schedule for more details).

Not only may Joy boost FOX Sports’ German soccer coverage, but he brings with him a vast knowledge of European football, the Premier League, MLS and international competitions. Joy is also versatile. He can seamlessly perform well in the role of host, analyst or co-commentator. Plus his knowledge of the sport adds instant credibility to anything he touches, so he’s a fantastic hire by FOX Sports that will please fans of the European and North American game.

He’s also American, which is a big plus given FOX Sports’ conscious effort of trying to hire American talent for its soccer coverage.

Born in San Diego and raised in Scotland, Joy played in the youth academies of Manchester United and Tranmere Rovers before establishing a professional soccer career with a number of clubs, most notably St. Pauli, Hamburg, Real Salt Lake and Portland Timbers.

The hiring of Joy is the second time in the past 12 months that FOX Sports has been able to procure talent from beIN SPORTS. In late 2014, former beIN SPORTS analyst and commentator Ross Dyer began working for FOX Sports as well as splitting his time with ESPN for soccer coverage.

Meanwhile, it’s expected that Joy will continue his co-commentary of New York City FC games for the YES Network while working at FOX Sports.

While FOX Sports has not made an official announcement yet, a network spokesman declined to comment regarding the acquisition of Joy.