Menu
Media

Univision, FS1 Set Records With Copa America Final; Pundits Compare Coverage With Euros

Univision, Univision Deportes and FS1 on Sunday from 8:08-10:53pm ET drew just under 9.8 million viewers for Chile’s win over Argentina, marking the most-viewed Copa America final ever in the U.S. The game had strong competition on Sunday night from the season finale for HBO’s “Game of Thrones” at 9:00pm, which averaged a series-record 8.89 million viewers. Univision’s figure, which includes a simulcast on cable net Univision Deportes, was 6.8 million viewers, marking a record for a single net. Univision’s audience also is the most-viewed soccer match of any kind in the U.S. since the Spanish-language net drew 9.23 million viewers for the Germany-Argentina FIFA World Cup final in ’14. Copa America finished with an average of 2.9 million viewers for all matches across Univision networks, up from the net’s ’14 World Cup average and up from last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. Meanwhile, FS1 drew 2.979 million viewers for Chile-Argentina, marking the cable net’s fourth-best soccer audience on record. The match, which went to penalty kicks, also marks the net’s best soccer audience for game not involving the U.S. The match peaked at 3.7 million viewers on FS1 from 10:30-10:53pm during PKs. During Copa America, FS1 saw its five best men’s soccer audiences on record. The Chile-Argentina final also marked Fox Sports Go’s best streaming figures on record for a single event, beating out Royals-Mets World Series game 1 last year. Copa America also topped the ’15 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Fox Sports Go in every video metric (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

AT THE COPA: In Tampa, Tom Jones noted FS1's coverage of Copa America "has been less impressive than ESPN's coverage" of Euro '16 because of "heavy homerism." You could understand the net "trying to drum up interest so American fans would watch, but the network's pro-American slant was too much" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 6/27). The GUARDIAN's Aaron Timms wrote under the header, "Why Fox Sports, Not ESPN, Is Winning America's Summer Of Soccer." Fox, in contrast to ESPN, took a "much more American-centric approach to its coverage of the Copa." This is "obviously understandable, given the different nature of the tournaments -- but it’s also yielded better results as a televisual experience." Coverage of the tournaments on both nets "has been bloated, but Fox has managed the bloat better" (THEGUARDIAN.com, 6/25).

EURO TRIP: WORLD SOCCER TALK's Christopher Harris wrote under the header, "ESPN Raises Bar On Euro 2016 TV Coverage To A Beautiful Art Form." It "hasn’t been perfect by any means but the visual appeal combined with the thought-provoking analysis and attention to detail puts it light years ahead" of Fox' coverage. It "says a lot about the rise in quality of soccer on U.S. television that many of the stars of ESPN’s coverage" are American. Taylor Twellman "is able to stand his ground and offer fascinating points of analysis." It has "been a joy to watch Bob Ley, Mike Tirico and Steve Bower." The set "only adds to the quality coverage." However, Harris wrote he is "growing tired of the homerism among some of the analysts" (WORLDSOCCERTALK.com, 6/24). The GUARDIAN's Timms wrote ESPN’s Euro '16 set "looks like it could have a second career once the tournament is over as an overpriced seafood restaurant." ESPN's coverage has been "relentlessly, gratingly parochial." The parochialism of ESPN’s approach "has extended to blanketing its commentary teams, the occasional American aside, with Englishmen" (THEGUARDIAN.com, 6/25).

GETTING COZY: The AP's Rachel Cohen noted former USMNT F Landon Donovan, who called two games during Copa America for Fox Sports, is "getting his bearings with the presentation part. Not that it came easily." Donovan said, "I realized quickly I'm not a naturally energetic, outgoing, outspoken kind of person. I have pretty strong opinions based on my experiences and think I have good input on what's going on and a pretty good grasp of what the players are going through. But I realized if I don't communicate it in a somewhat entertaining way, people are not going to listen." Donovan discovered that he needs to "feel as if he's 'going overboard' to come across effectively on air." He said, "It's almost acting. It's almost like I have to fake it." FS1 Exec Producer David Neal: "His work ethic is reflective of the best people in business" (AP, 6/27).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/06/28/Media/Copa-TV.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2016/06/28/Media/Copa-TV.aspx

CLOSE