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HISPANIC TV UPFRONT REPORT-2017 EDITION HispanicAd.com/HispanicMarketOverview.com
“It’s all here. It’s unequaled.”
PAN Y MANTEQUILLA: SOCCER FUELS FOX DEPORTES
Asked what the biggest draw was for Hispanic sports fans, Carlos Sanchez, EVP/GM of FOX Deportes, has an easy answer.
“Soccer is our bread and butter,” he says.
The coverage won’t include a certain FIFA event. But, he’s very excited about his network’s exclusive U.S. Hispanic market rights to the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final, set for May 26 of next year in Kiev, Ukraine.
“The big focus is the June final, and it’s looking like it would be two big teams playing against each other,” said Sanchez ahead of matches that set up a 2:45pm Eastern game on Saturday, June 3 that will see Real Madrid take on Juventus, of Torino, Italy.
Then, there’s the Bundesliga, arguably the world’s best pro soccer league. Until recently, the Bundesliga lagged behind the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and the Mexican first-division soccer league.
Today, the Bundesliga is drawing a new legion of fans. Bayern
München — the most dominant team — has quietly amassed a strong fan following in Latino communities across the U.S.
Then, there’s the presence of “Chicharrito.” That’s the nickname of Javier Hernández Balcázar, a member of the Mexican National Team who is also a forward for Bayer Leverkusen.
Also drawing fans to the Bundesliga is Marco Fabián, also a Mexican National Team member who plays in Germany for Eintracht Frankfurt.
“These two players are lifting Bundesliga to the next level,” Sanchez says, speaking about U.S. fan support for the league.
That’s why FOX Deportes is increasing its domestic investment in the Bundesliga, following its shift to the network from Gol TV.
Come January 2018, the Super Bowl will be back on FOX Deportes. The network is already salivating.
“It’s an important property for us,” Sanchez says. “We see the potential for further growth.”
This year, two international games will beam out of London. FOX Deportes will have its crew at the games. “We’re putting a lot of time and resources into the NFL,” he notes.
FOX Deportes is also strong on the beisbol diamond, and it’s the U.S. Hispanic home of the 2017 All-Star Game from Marlins Park in Miami.