Telemundo Deportes President Ray Warren expects the upcoming Super Bowl to be a blowout — on the audience front, at least.
NBCUniversal Media LLC's Telemundo (US) will become the first Spanish-language broadcast network to air a Super Bowl as it covers the Los Angeles Rams-Cincinnati Bengals game Feb. 13. Warren expects the network to easily exceed the previous Spanish language Super Bowl viewership mark set by cable network FOX Deportes (US) when it tallied average viewership of 757,000 as part of FOX Sports' coverage of the 2020 Super Bowl.
Benefits of broadcast
The executive pointed to several factors in support of his projection, notably Telemundo's status as a broadcaster with stations in such leading U.S. Hispanic markets as New York, Chicago, Houston and Miami. Its carriage across cable, satellite and telco providers affords a distribution advantage over the current record-holder, he said.
"We're going to shoot it down, unless it's 42-3 in the first quarter. And I'm not sure that even matters, because it's a holiday, a celebration all day," Warren said in an interview. "Give us the same share [as FOX Deportes], we bring more homes," he said. "It's simple math."
Warren said it also does not hurt that the Bengals will be meeting the Rams at SoFi Stadium in the backyard of KVEA, Telemundo's station serving Los Angeles, which is the nation's top U.S. Hispanic market.
Where younger U.S. Hispanics gather with their parents, aunts and uncles, Warren said they will watch the big game in Spanish: "There will be a lot of family viewing; that benefits us."
Coverage differential
Telemundo's coverage will be somewhat different than what viewers see on NBC (US) and Peacock, NBCU's streaming service, as many U.S. Hispanics are still learning the game. Telemundo Deportes' on-air team may take time to detail such football intricacies as cut blocks or run-pass options, according to Warren.
On the advertising front, all of the in-game ads in the NFL championship are sold out, as NBCUniversal packaged inventory together across NBC, Telemundo and Peacock.
Befitting Telemundo's bilingual audience, Warren said there will be a combination of spots, with Spanish-language creative in some and others running in English.
A new promo touting Telemundo Deportes' upcoming World Cup coverage from Qatar will air across the services, including NBC. The 30-second spot, building on one that ran during the 2018 Super Bowl, features play-by-play sportscaster Andres Cantor bringing his famous extended "gol" call to new audiences, including kids in a classroom, firefighters, construction workers and a choir. The spot also includes NBCU personalities Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton, as well as Universal Pictures' Minions.
Cantor will tease the spot, created in-house, during his pre-game appearance. There is also a 15-second version that will join the 30-second ad in heavy rotation across Telemundo platforms in the weeks ahead, Warren said.
World Cup sales update
Warren said NBC Sports ad sales unit continues to add advertisers for Telemundo Deportes' World Cup presentation. Last November, a year ahead of the tournament, executives reported the event was well sold and NBC Sports Group had secured presenting sponsors for the pre- and post-match and halftime segments.
Akin to what NBC Sports did with the Super Bowl in holding on to some inventory with a view toward capitalizing on last-minute interest, Warren said some units are being reserved. Final qualifying rounds will come March 27-30, with the draw to be announced April 1.
Other soccer plays?
Elsewhere in the soccer realm, Warren said Telemundo Deportes has an interest in obtaining rights to the expanded Leagues Cup annual tournament, matching 47 clubs from U.S. Major League Soccer and Liga MX, Mexico's top division, in a monthlong event, kicking off in 2023.
Telemundo Deportes, which airs matches from Liga MX's Chivas de Guadalajara team via a multiyear deal, is assessing upcoming opportunities with other top clubs in the Mexican circuit. Warren said Telemundo is eyeing another entrant for coverage on the broadcast network, and perhaps others for a new content hub, TPlus, that will feature Spanish-language scripted and unscripted fare, as well as music and sports, within Peacock's premium tiers.
NBCU's game plan calls for Telemundo Deportes' 2022 World Cup coverage to act as a launch pad for TPlus this fall.
Down the road, Warren said TPlus could be home to additional Liga MX clubs as existing contracts expire over the coming years. "That will give TPlus time to develop," he said.