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).
