Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Media

Univision Touts Soccer Rights Acquisitions During Upfront, Downplays Losing World Cup

Univision heavily touted soccer as one of its five “passion points” driving ratings and audience engagement during its upfront presentation yesterday at N.Y.’s Lyric Theatre. During his presentation, Univision Deportes President Juan Carlos Rodriguez highlighted the net’s recent soccer rights acquisition -- the UEFA Champions League and Europa League through '21, as well as all the rights to UEFA national team competitions through '22. The presentation also downplayed losing the rights to air the World Cup to rival Telemundo, noting that for the upcoming '18 tournament it would roll out a comprehensive coverage plan, including live coverage from Russia (Ian Thomas, Staff Writer).

FOX FOR THOUGHT: In N.Y., John Koblin writes Fox' upfront presentation "felt a little off" and "many Fox folks at the after-party were rolling their eyes at the interminable sports portion." There was NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson "in basketball shorts" and broadcaster Joe Buck two "groan-worthy jokes about his ex-wife." Fox "really talked up its baseball coverage" after its strong World Series ratings. But "there’s a reason for all the World Series talk." MLB's "relatively low ratings were, not long ago, something network executives loathed." Now even without the Cubs winning their first World Series in 108 years, MLB's ratings are "looking relatively better than whatever else the networks have to offer" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/17).

DON'T ADJUST YOUR SET: BROADCASTING & CABLE's Jon Lafayette reported a picture-in-picture approach "will be included" when NBCUniversal "sells WWE programming on USA in the upfront." When commercial breaks start on USA's "WWE SmackDown" on Tuesdays, the sound will "go down on the action, but viewers will still be able to see" action in the ring. The ad message "plays with sound and motion." The company is also "planning to offer picture-in-picture ads during" the '18 PyeongChang Games (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 5/15). 

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

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/2017/05/17/Media/Upfronts.aspx

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

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/05/17/Media/Upfronts.aspx

CLOSE