Telemundo Deportes has already sold 75% of its ad inventory for the FIFA World Cup in Russia, which kicks off in 99 days, according to network President Ray Warren. The net yesterday announced partnerships with three brands for exclusive Spanish-language coverage during the tournament. Sprint and Coca-Cola will present halftime and postgame shows, respectively, and Volkswagen will present the net’s primetime show. Coca-Cola will also be the presenting sponsor of the in-game match clocks (Ian Thomas, Staff Writer). ADWEEK's Jason Lynch noted Volkswagen is "also involved" with Fox Sports’ English-language coverage, and "will sponsor its postgame shows." Verizon has "signed on to sponsor Fox’s halftime shows" (ADWEEK.com, 3/6). In Philadelphia, Jonathan Tannenwald notes Telemundo "expects to sell the rest" of its ad inventory "well before the tournament starts in mid-June." The net "did not say how much money that adds up to." NBCU Exec VP/Lifestyle & Hispanic Ad Sales Laura Molen said that the net was "only allowed to sell to FIFA’s official sponsors (Coca-Cola is one) until last June." Once the wider window opened, she said that there was “'great interest' until the Super Bowl and Olympics," when advertisers "shifted attention to those properties." Molen said, "The last couple of weeks, the phone has been off the hook.” She projected that inventory would "sell out 'before the month of June.'" Molen and other execs "wouldn’t put specific numbers on the network’s audience projections," but they "think they can beat what Univision did during its more than four decades as the World Cup’s U.S. Spanish-language home, and those numbers set a high bar" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/7).
