Sky Sports’ Kate Abdo Named as Host for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015
Accomplished Sky Sports journalist Kate Abdo joins FOX Sports to serve as a studio host for the network’s unprecedented coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2015 in Canada later this year. The announcement was made today by David Neal, executive producer for FOX Sports’ FIFA Women’s World Cup™ coverage.
Abdo anchors Sky Sports News in the UK and earlier this year hosted the FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich, during which she presented Cristiano Ronaldo his third award as the world’s best player. She has also hosted Sky Sports’ coverage of the Premier League’s Deadline Day and European soccer coverage including the UEFA European Qualifiers and Coppa Italia.
“Kate is a highly respected journalist and media personality with years of experience in soccer,” Neal said. “Kate brings her expertise, presence, and passion for the game to our coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. We are delighted to have her join our team.”
Last month, veteran Rob Stone was tabbed to host FOX Sports’ prime time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ studio coverage. Both Abdo and Stone anchor programming from the network’s customized two-story state-of-the-art studio center on picturesque Coal Harbor in Vancouver.
No stranger to FOX Sports, Abdo hosted FOX Sports 1’s coverage of the prestigious Algarve Cup earlier this month from Los Angeles, and with Stone in Los Angeles and Abdo based in Ottawa, the pair hosted FOX Sports’ FIFA Women’s World Cup Draw show last December.
Abdo began her sports broadcasting career at DW-TV, a German TV channel, before joining CNN in 2009. At CNN, Kate was based in London from where she covered the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa among other top soccer events and leagues. More recently, Abdo made her mark at Sky Deutschland as lead anchor and face of the channel’s Sky Sports News program before moving to Sky Sports in the UK in 2014. Throughout her career she has conducted notable interviews with some of international football’s all-time greats, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola and Manuel Neuer.
Born in England, Abdo speaks fluent English, Spanish, French and German. She studied at universities in both the UK and Spain, graduating with honors and earning a degree in European Languages.
FOX Sports is planning the most expansive multi-platform coverage ever of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, including an unprecedented 16 matches airing live on FOX broadcast network when the tournament commences in Canada this June. FOX Sports televises all 52 games in the expanded tournament from six cities across Canada between June 6 and July 5, live on FOX; FOX Sports 1, America’s fastest growing sports network; and FOX Sports 2. Digitally, all games are available on tablets and mobile devices via the FOX Sports GO app and online at www.FOXSportsGO.com. No broadcast network has ever televised 16 FIFA Women’s or Men’s World Cup matches, and the 2015 event marks the first time since 2003 that any FIFA Women’s World Cup™ matches are scheduled for over-the-air broadcast in the U.S. Combining games with anticipated pregame, postgame and complementary programming, FOX Sports is expected to provide almost 200 hours of coverage from FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™. Coverage begins with reports in AMERICA’S PREGAME and FOX SPORTS LIVE, Thursday, June 4, a preview show on Friday, June 5 and Group Stage matches on Saturday, June 6.
