Upfronts 2009: For Fox Sports en Español It's More Futbol

Complete Upfronts 2009 coverage from Multichannel News

Fox Sports en Español will gear up for futbol biggest event with over 1500 hours of live and premiere soccer match coverage in 2010.

As soccer turns its focus to the 2010 FIFA World Cup from South Africa, Fox Sports en Español, according to network officials, will offer more live soccer coverage than any other Spanish-language network in the U.S. and almost as much as all of the others combined.

Speaking at network's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York Tuesday, network executives talked up the acquisition of the UEFA Champions League in tandem with sister service Fox Soccer Channel. The deal for the 2010-12 tournaments, displacing ESPN2 here in the U.S., will net the Spanish-language service 110 matches from the playoffs and group stage rounds. Each season, Fox Sports en Español will have the broadcast rights to premiere UEFA Champions League and SuperCup matches, as well as ancillary UEFA Champions League programming.

"Landing the rights to UEFA Champions League was a huge coup for us," said Tom Maney, senior vice president of advertising sales for Fox Sports en Español. "This latest acquisition is just one example of what our advertisers and viewers can expect from us in 2010. Our existing premiere programming, such as Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, coupled with new innovative ways of bringing advertisers to their audience, demonstrate why Fox Sports en Español remains number one in the market."
Advertisers will have the capability to plug into the network's "power panel" enabling advertisers to showcase 15-second creative during breaks in live-action from the pitch.
In another power play, Fox Sports en Español is presenting the online Power Challenge, affording advertisers the chance to get their brand into the action through sponsorships manifesting in multiple in-game integrations, online and on TV.
Elsewhere, the network is developing Tribuna Fox Sports, a fast-paced, irreverent show aimed at young hard-core sports fans. Tribuna promises to sponsor-friendly and will encourage viewer participation via call-in and online interactive segments.
Finally, the network has launched a business-to-business Web site at www.FSEAdSales.com aimed at keeping clients in the game with information about programming, ratings, and creative executions.