• Loading stock data...
Thursday, November 21, 2024

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

Nov 9, 2024; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami CF head coach Gerardo Martino reacts in the second half against the Atlanta United FC in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Chase Stadium.

Messi’s Inter Miami Coach Quits After Best Regular MLS Season Ever

Gerardo “Tata” Martino has been with Miami for about as long as Messi.
Amazon-Thursday-Night-Football

How International Sports Streaming Rights Is ‘Trench Warfare’ Now

Netflix’s WWE deal could be a template for other leagues looking to go global.
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) throws the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Vanderbilt Commodores at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Vanderbilt Commodores defeated Auburn Tigers 17-7.

Vandy QB Pavia Sues NCAA for 2 More Years of Eligibility

Diego Pavia beat Alabama. Can he beat the NCAA’s eligibility rules?

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.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Who Can Actually Afford Juan Soto?

0:00

Featured Today

Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant of the United States (2) during the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

F1 Grand Prix Upended Vegas Last Year. Stakes Are High for Its..

Stakes are high as F1 gears up for a successful second act.
Classic Football Shirts New York Pop-Up
November 18, 2024

Vintage Soccer Jerseys Have Found a Sweet Spot in the Lucrative U.S...

The money-making shirts are at the prime intersection of memorabilia and fashion.
Nov 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after fouling Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (not pictured) during the second half at Madison Square Garden.
opinion
November 16, 2024

NBA Ratings Rorschach Test: Buy the Dip

Was it the election? Too many threes? Lack of storylines?
November 15, 2024

Executive Decision: When Richard Nixon Named a College Football Champion

In 1969, the 37th president unilaterally named the winner of the season.
A photo of Around the Horn's set

‘Around the Horn’ to End 23-Year ESPN Run in 2025

ESPN had reportedly been thinking of canceling the show since the summer.
Nov 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers play during the second half at TD Garden.
November 20, 2024

Cavs vs. Celtics Draws Big TV Numbers in NBA Cup Showdown

The game averaged 1.94 million viewers and peaked at 2.7 million.
November 21, 2024

NBA Legend Hubie Brown Stepping Away From ESPN at 91

Brown has been associated with the league for over 50 years.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
November 20, 2024

NFL Ratings Hold Strong Through Election Season, Chiefs Lead TV Pack

In 2016, NFL ratings fell 8% from the prior year.
November 20, 2024

Comcast’s SpinCo: New Home for USA Network, Golf Channel, Sports Rights

The move by NBC Sports’ parent company reflects how dramatically the linear television business has changed.
Nov 18, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center.
November 19, 2024

Will NBA Flex Last-Place Sixers From National TV Games?

Philadelphia is 2–11, tied for last in the NBA.
November 19, 2024

Bills’ Dethroning of Chiefs Draws Highest TV Ratings of NFL Season

The massive rating continues Kansas City’s dominance as the NFL’s No. 1 TV team.