The Cowboys have signed a new three-year partnership with Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision, and media is "only one segment" to the partnership, according to Michael Gehlken of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. While using the Cowboys’ IP, including the star logo, TelevisaUnivision can "leverage its own local business relationships to help the Cowboys explore and secure commercial partners and sponsors in Mexico." The Cowboys are one of nine NFL teams to have Mexico as an International Home Marketing Area, though they were the "most proactive to secure TelevisaUnivision as a partner." TelevisaUnivision SVP/Sports Growth Enterprises Marco Liceaga: "We’re focusing 100% on the Cowboys. We haven’t approached any other club, and no other club approached us. So we decided for the foreseeable future, for the scope of this partnership, we will only work with the Cowboys, and likewise, the Cowboys will not work with anyone else in the territory" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/12).
BIGGEST SPLASH INTO PROGRAM: The TelevisaUnivision deal represents the biggest splash yet by an NFL team under the league’s new international marketing program. The league’s program allows teams to sell local media and sponsorship rights in certain other countries that mirror the rights they can sell in their home markets. Under those rules, TelevisaUnivision will air all three Cowboys preseason games live via either its TV channels or streaming services. It also will produce Cowboys-related shoulder programming throughout the season. TelevisaUnivision already holds the NFL’s broadcast rights in Mexico, while ESPN and Fox have the league’s cable rights there. The deal debuts on Saturday, when the TUDN broadcast team of Enrique Burak, Toño de Valdés and Pepe Segarra will call the Cowboys-Broncos preseason game on ViX, a streaming service owned by TelevisaUnivision. Liceaga said, "We see ourselves as the home of the NFL in Mexico, and it’s no secret the Cowboys are the most popular NFL club in the country. For us, it’s a huge opportunity to partner with this brand, this team, to help the build the commercial business in this country but also to amplify our opportunity with NFL rights and NFL content on our platforms.” This deal marks the first time TelivisiaUnivision’s sales division will work for a third party. It has sold sponsorships and other IP rights to internal assets, which includes the Liga MX side Club America and Estadio Azteca (Ben Fischer, SBJ).
