• Loading stock data...
Monday, September 15, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

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

[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Real Madrid CF forward Kylian Mbappe (9) reacts after a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.

CVC Builds Out Sports Division Amid Crowded PE Market

The firm’s sports portfolio is reportedly worth $13.6 billion.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
The cover of the College Football 25 video game.
exclusive

Group That Facilitated NIL Deal for Football Video Game Now Says It’s..

EA offered $1,500 and no royalties; it also deleted an opt-out clause.
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

College Football Enters Week 3 Up 21% in TV Ratings

Total college football viewership across all networks is up big.
September 5, 2025

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.
Sep 6, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view of a Fox Sports camera station before the game between the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field.
September 11, 2025

Lachlan Murdoch on Fox’s Sports Strategy, FanDuel Plans

The executive calls a forthcoming streaming bundle with ESPN “essential” for fans.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 4, 2025

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
September 4, 2025

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.
September 4, 2025

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.