• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is open through Nov. 6 Learn More

Univision Adopts Meetings Tech to Insert Liga MX Fans Into Stadiums

  • Virtual fans featured across Univision’s linear networks will be made up of official club supporters and season ticket holders.
  • Univision is also looking to sell ad inventory for its new virtual fan section, along with other highly visible areas on the field.
Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

When Liga MX returns to Univision’s airwaves in the U.S. on July 24, fans will be visible in the stands – at least virtually – via the same digital meeting technology that spectators have used to hold video conference calls during the pandemic.

Univision will create virtual groups featuring members of the team’s supporters clubs and season ticket holders. Images captured on fans’ computer screens at home will then be overlaid on empty seats inside the lower bowls of stadiums during live match telecasts. 

Fan names will be supplied by individual clubs, Univision said. Each team will also have proprietary links available to them for group members to join with TV producers also on the call to instruct virtual audiences.

“We’ve been able to test the technology during the Copa por Mexico team tournament that just concluded on July 19,” Marco Liceaga, senior vice president of marketing and business development for TUDN, said. “Lower bowls in each stadium are different, but we’ve been able to adapt the technology successfully.”

Univision did not disclose its technology partner for its new virtual initiative. In May, fans of the Danish SuperLiga club AGF Aarhus in Denmark were able to similarly digitally insert themselves into stadiums during live gameplay, The Guardian reported. This activation was carried out in partnership with Zoom. 

Univision is now looking to sell sponsorships for its new virtual fan wall on broadcasts, in addition to other areas of the field during the Liga MX season. These include virtual ads on the center kickoff circle and corner flag banners.

Higher-than-expected ratings for Univision for the Copa por Mexico – a two-week, eight-team exhibition tournament – has Univision convinced fans will turn up in droves to watch the return of Liga MX. The tournament averaged 423,000 viewers over the 14 telecasts. The final between Cruz Azil and Chivas peaked at 919,000 viewers. 

READ MORE: Univision Moves Into Esports With Pro Soccer Players at the Controls

“I think, in general, partners are happy to have Liga MX and live soccer back,” Liceaga said, adding that the network is offering new advertising opportunities to all brands that may be interested. Liga MX is also Univision’s most watched soccer property in the U.S. 

“We wanted to make sure that we were fully operational with this technology enhancement first during the Copa for Mexico to have it ready for the season,” he added. “Now we’re really ready to roll it out for Liga MX.”

The new inventory is being sold independently of LigaMX and its clubs, which sell their own individual rights to national TV networks. Liga MX club distribution rights in the U.S. are split between Fox, Telemundo, and Univision – with Univision currently holding the majority of the rights deals with the league’s 18 clubs.

During upcoming match broadcasts on Univision’s TV networks, the company will utilize artificial fan noise similar to the MLS is Back Tournament games currently airing on TUDN. The Spanish-language network initially voted against fake crowd noise in the spring when the German Bundesliga resumed on May 16 before quickly pivoting on its audio strategy.

“Being able to hear shouts from players is interesting for the first 10 minutes, but then you realize there is something missing,” Liceaga said.

READ MORE: Awaiting MLS Debut, Sacramento Republic Looks To Fans At Home

All of Liga MX matches will also be produced remotely – with camera feeds being sent directly to Univision’s Miami headquarters and Mexico City base of operations. Univision says it will look to create the same level of broadcasts fans are accustomed to. 

“We started remote productions [for the entire season] with MLS three years ago because we understood that was the future,” Liceaga said. “Fast forward three years, it has become even more valuable because with the new normal we are sending less people to stadiums.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Super Bowl Ads Sell Out Three Months Early, at Record Price

Ad units are believed to be selling at more than $7 million per 30 seconds.

Sports Drive Fox Corp.’s Revenue Despite Election Ad Overload

The Fox Sports parent posted increases in revenue and earnings.

The Untapped Revenue ‘Powder Keg’ of Women’s NFL Fandom

There’s a “boatload” of money at stake for brands and the league.

World Series Sets Japanese Records; Young U.S. Viewers Up 93%

More audience records are set in the home country of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Surprising Start to MLB’s Offseason

0:00

Featured Today

Vanderbilt Commodores fans head to the south end zone as the goal post is taken down by exuberant fans after beating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
opinion

Something New in College Football This Year: Parity

Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL.
Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump waves flanked by former Georgia Bulldogs player Herschel Walker, recording art Kid Rock, professional golfer John Daily, Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville (R) and Katie Britt (R) during the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
November 1, 2024

Mission Swing State: College Football’s Political Advertising Battle

Trump, Harris, and the PACs that support them are utilizing the sport.
Donald Trump holding a basketball in the White House
October 30, 2024

Mavericks Owner’s $100 Million Trump Donation Dwarfs All Other Sports Owner Political Giving

Dr. Miriam Adelson is one of the most powerful donors in U.S. politics.
Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) shakes hands while entering the locker room after a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
October 28, 2024

NIL Director Is the Trendy New Job in College Sports. But the Role Is Chaos

Athletic departments nationwide are hiring for what’s become their most important position.
Tom Brady

Tom Brady Won’t Be Punished for Criticizing Packers-Lions Ejection

The “Brady Rules” faced their biggest test so far after Sunday’s broadcast.
Adam Schefter
November 1, 2024

Adam Schefter Uses Same Pirated NFL Clips As Everyone Else

ESPN’s NFL insider posted a video from an illegal stream Thursday night.
Fubo-TV
November 1, 2024

Fubo Reports 9% Subscriber Growth As Venu Sports Trial Looms

The sports-focused streamer grew revenue by 21%.
Sponsored

World Series Delivers High-Demand Marquee Matchup

The hype around the World Series matchup drove ticket prices to record levels—but the Dodgers’ dominance quickly quieted the fervor.
October 31, 2024

World Series Delivers 7-Year Ratings Record, Marking MLB’s Big Comeback

Viewership of the five-game win by the Dodgers soared by 74% over last year.
October 31, 2024

Comcast’s Olympic Gold: Paris Games Spark Surge in Peacock Subscribers

Company revenue and Peacock subscriptions rise thanks to a big Olympics boost.
October 30, 2024

World Series Game 4 Draws 16.7M Viewers, Up 92% From 2023

The average audience of 16.7 million nearly doubles the comparable figure from last year.
October 30, 2024

Controversy, Championship Battles Keep F1 Viewers Tuned In

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen had a controversial encounter again Sunday.