- John Consoli

Twelve major advertisers have been lined up to sponsor today's (Aug. 12) telecast of the US vs. Mexico World Cup qualifying match on both Hispanic broadcast network Telemundo and its cable network mun2.

The advertisers include Allstate, Anheuser Bush, Coca-Cola, Corona, General Motors, Home Depot, McDonald's, T-Mobile, Toyota, AT&T, Ford and Unilver's Degree for Men.

The live telecast will begin at 4 p.m. from Mexico, with Telemundo broadcasting in Spanish, and mun2, the network's younger skewing English-language network, televising in English. Each telecast will have separate announcers, and the telecast on Telemundo will also be available in English via the SAP (secondary audio program) feature.

Ford is also sponsoring a live mun2 feed via JumboTron screens that will show the game from the Hollywood and Highland complex in Los Angeles and from the NBC Universal screen in New York's Times Square. NBCU is Telemundo's parent company.

Telemundo owns the TV rights to the Mexican National Team when it plays in Mexico, including TV rights in the U.S.

As part of the sponsorship packages is a 360 component that will include a broadband opportunities that will include in-game advertiser logo features, cross promotional segments, sponsorship of rosters and exclusive videos and sports briefs in conjunction with the game.
A special website, www.futbolestelar.tv, a partnership between Terra.com and Telemundo, will offer exclusive interviews, videos, stats and sweepstakes opportunities.

NBCU announced last month that mun2 would be offered free on game day to any cable operator that does not already carry it, thus increasing the potential English language audience for the telecast. Mun2 reaches more than 32 million homes but that will increase to more than 67 million for the game telecast. Telemundo reaches 59 million homes.

The last time the U.S. team played Mexico on Feb. 2009, the telecast on ESPN2 drew 1.2 million viewers, the largest audience of the 26 prior World Cup qualifying matches. And the Spanish language telecast on Univision drew 5.9 million viewers. Since that match was played in the United States, Telemundo did not have the TV rights.


Nielsen Business Media