LOWDOWN ON THE UPFRONT: GolTV Kicks In More Fare
Soccer Net Adds Original Trio, Plus More European World Cup Qualifying Matches
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 5/14/2008 12:31:00 PM
NEW YORK--Gol TV continues to put more programming in its net.
The 24-7 soccer service announced four new shows during its upfront presentation to advertisers here Wednesday morning, while continuing to add 2010 World Cup qualifying matches from European sides to its roster.
Gol TV COO Rodrigo Lombello told media buyers that next month ithe network will kick off Kings of Clubs, a 10-episode documentary-style show assessing the history, structure, traditions and highlights of top teams on five continents. The clubs that will be examined: Italy’s AC Milan; Spain’s Real Madrid and FC Barcelona; England’s Manchester United and Chelsea; Germany’s Bayern Munich; Argentina’s Boca Juniors; Egypt’s Al-Ahly; The Netherlands’ AX Amsterdam; and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.
Come September, Gol TV, which counts some 16 million subscribers, largely through placement on English-language sports tiers and on Spanish-language packages, will showcase user-generated content on SoccerCam. Video can be uploaded to the GolTV.tv Web site, where editors will select a combination of the best goals, fancy footwork and fun moments from the ranks of hometown heroes of different ages. Prizes will be afforded for the best videos.
Lombello, speaking to Multichannel News after the presentation, said much of the material will also be available for viewing online, while the network would consider working with cable operators to develop localized on-demand packages from this user-generated fare.
September will also see GolTV watchers set up their own fantasy league squads from Spain’s top circuit, La Liga. Fantasy Goal, a multiplatform play, will enable participants to select and manage their own sides from La Liga’s ranks, create their team’s kits, and then square off against other competitors. Each week, GolTV online and on-camera experts will prepare fantasy coaches for the upcoming matches with in-depth analysis.
Gol TV is also preparing its 2010 Report, which will provide previews, highlights and analysis of upcoming World Cup qualifying matches from around the globe. The show will air intermittently over the next two years, beginning in June, as the various stages of qualifying unfold.
Speaking of which, Gol TV executives said the network has secured the rights to World Cup qualifying matches and international friendlies involving Holland, Scotland, Wales and Liechenstein in recent weeks. Those deals complement similar pacts the network has scored with the Italian, German and Spanish national teams.
On the ratings front, Gol TV, which became measured by the Nielsen Hispanic TV Index last October, said it is the leader among Latinos 18 to 49 and Hispanic men of the same age range on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., its prime match periods. Network officials said GolTV doubling the delivery of those audience groups, relative to its top competitors, Galavision, Discovery en Espanol, Fox Sports en Espanol and mun2
The network, which proffers an array of advertising opportunities from 30-second spots both on-air and online, VOD messaging, on-air billboards and mentions, and clock wraps, has added new clients in Nike and Southwest Airlines.
