Telemundo is beginning to roll out its plans for the ’19 Women’s World Cup in France, which the net said will be the most extensive multimedia coverage of the event in Spanish-language media history. Telemundo Deportes will present all 52 games of the tournament live across Telemundo, Universo and the Telemundo Deportes app, including more than double the games airing on Telemundo proper compared to the ’15 event. Matches will also be shown on the NBC Sports App, akin to what the net did during the men’s World Cup earlier this year in Russia. Telemundo Deportes President Ray Warren said the net will be altering its approach to the tourney slightly based off the feedback it got from its production in Russia, noting that one of the most frequent suggestions was that viewers wanted to hear more from on-air experts and still wanted to learn more about the players and the teams. The net this summer often would switch back to its morning show, “Un Nuevo Día,” following and in-between matches. Warren said Telemundo next year will look to provide more pre- and postgame game coverage. The net each day will wrap up coverage with a 60-minute edition of its late-night sports and entertainment show, “Titulares y Mas.” Andres Cantor and Ana Jurka will lead Telemundo’s coverage in Paris. Viviana Vila, the first women to ever provide match commentary for a World Cup in Spanish, also will return. The production team will be based in Paris and will have a host position that features views of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe.
FOCUSING ON USWNT: While Telemundo will look to provide coverage and features on every team in the tournament, it will be putting a special emphasis on the coverage around the USWNT, viewed as the favorites. “There’s a big benefit in having U.S. as the defending Women’s World Cup champion, and I’m sure Fox feels the same way. But we have them too and we’re not going to be shy about it,” Warren said. “Eighty-one percent of the audience for the men’s World Cup was bilingual, and we believe soccer is better in Spanish. So we’re going to show that again and our feeling is bilinguals can watch us.”
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Telemundo Deportes will be rolling out an aggressive marketing campaign in ’19 around its two big soccer properties this summer -- the women’s World Cup and Copa America. Combined, the net will air more than 80 matches over 38 days, with morning World Cup matches leading into primetime coverage of Copa America. The marketing efforts will include cross promotion across all NBCUniversal platforms. “We can use both tournaments as promotional vehicles for each other,” Warren said.
