• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, November 30, 2009

A Fox cable executive in charge of three niche sports channels is leaving at the end of the year. David Sternberg, COO of emerging networks, will depart after 12 years with the Fox cable group.

Sternberg oversees extreme sports channel Fuel TV, Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español and reports to Rich Battista, president of Fox National Cable Networks.

The Fox Soccer Channel made a splash earlier this year when it outmaneuvered ESPN for rights to the European Champions League. Fuel launched five years ago under Sternberg's guidance as skateboarding and snowboarding were experiencing notable growth among young males.

Fox Soccer draws a light audience, but by one measure has seen ratings jump in the 18-to-49 demo by 178% this season.

Fox Sports en Español goes head-to-head with ESPN Deportes to attract U.S. Hispanic sports fans. Deportes has been a point of emphasis at ESPN as that demographic grows.

Fuel's day-to-day management will continue under general manager CJ Olivares, while Fox will announce new management structures at the other two networks later.

Sternberg, who took on his current post in 2004 after joining Fox Cable in 1998 in a business-development role, stated that he was "proud of the growth" of the three networks. He did not release details about future plans.

Battista states the "networks are well-positioned for future growth."