It’s 2005 and new ESPN programming chief John Skipper’s out to cement the brand’s market dominance by buying up more sports rights.

With ESPN spending big, Fox Sports will need more than its broadcast network and Fox Sports Net regional channels to stay in contention. It needs its own 24-hour national sports network.

And that means that after years of shadow boxing, Fox Sports and ESPN are about to get in the ring and go head to head for the first time.

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