FoxBox (sports)

Fox Box was Fox Sports's term for the graphic used during its broadcasts of baseball and the National Football League, among others, which displayed in the upper corner of the screen during the telecast the score of the game and other real-time information – in football, time remaining, down and yards-to-go, etc. and in baseball number of outs, bases occupied by runners, ball and strike count, speed of baseball pitches, and so on. This graphic remained superimposed over video whenever live action coverage was in progress; it was removed during videotaped replays of field action, during on-camera segments in which the announcers appeared, and during commercial breaks or studio cut-ins.

Before the advent of FoxBox a viewer could only be informed of the score or time left by the temporary flashing of a graphic at a point of break in the game or have the commentator tell the viewer. Digital on screen graphics allow those watching to instantly grasp the context of what they are seeing.

Reaction

Fox was criticized by some viewers who saw this persistent graphic as an annoyance and distraction. Other viewers, however, were pleased, having for years asked why such a graphic could not be shown.

Discontinuation

Eventually, the concept of a constant, live-updating graphic positioned over live action has become the norm in virtually all sports broadcasts at the national and regional production levels. In 2001, Fox discontinued the box in favor of a graphic header that appears at the top of the screen and provides the same real-time game information during live action.

ee also

*Chyron
*FoxTrax
*Digital on-screen graphic