NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving Hispanic America, today announced a deal that will bring the live stream for select matches from Univision Deportes’ comprehensive portfolio of Liga MX, the most-watched soccer league in the U.S., directly to fans in English via Facebook Live this season. Kicking off Saturday, February 18 and continuing throughout 2017, fans can stream Liga MX matches in the U.S., in real-time on the Univision Deportes Facebook Page and via Facebook’s Video tab.
Liga MX, the Mexican soccer league, consistently attracts more viewers than all other soccer properties, including the English Premier League. Univision Deportes, the undisputed home of soccer in the U.S., has the most comprehensive portfolio of exclusive Liga MX rights.
“Univision’s unparalleled soccer productions and coverage have always garnered great engagement from not only Spanish-speaking viewers, but English-speaking fans as well. Our Facebook partnership is an exciting opportunity for these fans to experience this great soccer in the language of their choice,” said Tonia O’Connor, chief commercial officer and president of Content Distribution, UCI. “TV options have evolved from broadcast to cable to SVOD. Now Facebook represents the next wave of TV and, given its scale, they are an ideal partner to distribute our Liga MX matches in English.”
Dan Reed, Facebook Head of Global Sports Partnerships, added: “We’re thrilled Univision is bringing Liga MX matches to Facebook. The move enables Facebook’s passionate community of soccer fans to watch, share, talk about and react to one of the sport’s most exciting leagues - all in one location. We are also committed to supporting Univision Deportes as it explores innovative ways to complement its television broadcasts. By delivering unique broadcasts via Facebook Live, Univision Deportes is able to further reach new audiences in a truly interactive and social manner.”
President of Univision Deportes Juan Carlos Rodriguez commented: “We strive to connect our audience with their passions, and we know that Liga MX fans are always looking for more ways to experience their favorite league - whether they are at home or on the go. Now Facebook will bring the passionate and loyal fans of the most-watched soccer league in the U.S. their favorite matches to its Facebook Live platform, where Univision Deportes can also be the first to engage a new, dedicated audience in today’s mobile and connected world.”
Univision Deportes will stream 46 Liga MX matches including playoff games in 2017 via Facebook Live. Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Univision Deportes, the destination of choice for soccer fans in the U.S., is the award-winning multiplatform sports division of UCI that includes UDN, the No. 1 Spanish- language sports network in the U.S. It is the home of Liga MX, the highest-rated club soccer league in the U.S. across all networks, and it carries the rights to 17 of the 18 teams in the league.
About Univision Deportes
Univision Deportes is the multimedia sports division of Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) and includes UDN, the No. 1 Spanish-language sports network in the U.S. Univision Deportes’ portfolio of rights includes 11 of the 18 teams in Liga MX, the Mexican National Team, the U.S. Men’s & Women’s National Teams, Major League Soccer, Copa MX, Copa Centroamericana, Copa América, CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, international friendlies, select matches from Liga de Ascenso in Mexico, Portuguese First Division, Dutch First Division, FC Barcelona TV and Bayern Munich TV, Mexico’s Campeón de Campeones and SúperCopa, and Formula 1. Univision Deportes is also the exclusive home to shows such as Premios Univision Deportes, Solo Boxeo, Zona NBA, Republica Deportiva and Contacto Deportivo, the highest-rated Spanish-language sports studio show in the U.S., and delivers comprehensive coverage across platforms on all the latest from the NBA, NFL, MLB, and world of boxing.
About Univision Communications Inc.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. The Company, a leading content creator in the U.S., includes Univision Network, one of the leading networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country available in approximately 92% of U.S. Hispanic television households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network available in approximately 86% of U.S. Hispanic television households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language entertainment cable network, as well as UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language sports cable network, Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to telenovelas, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to international news, and an additional suite of cable offerings - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson and Telehit; Univision Local Media, which owns and/or operates 59 television stations and 67 radio stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; and Univision Now, a direct-to-consumer, on demand and live streaming subscription service. The Company also includes the Fusion Media Group (FMG), a division that serves young, diverse audiences. FMG includes two cable networks: news and lifestyle English-language network FUSION TV and UCI’s interest in El Rey Network, a general entertainment English-language cable network; Univision.com, the most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. Hispanics; Uforia, a music application featuring multimedia music content; as well as a collection of leading digital brands that span a range of categories: technology (Gizmodo), sports (Deadspin), music (TrackRecord), lifestyle (Lifehacker), modern women’s interests (Jezebel), news and social justice (FUSION.net), African American news and culture (The Root), gaming (Kotaku), and car culture (Jalopnik). FMG also includes the Company’s interest in comedy and news satire brands The Onion, Clickhole and The A.V. Club. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has content creation facilities and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit corporate.univision.com.
