Live from 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: Telemundo's Rooftop Studio Highlights Coverage By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Sunday, June 30, 2019 - 11:45 am
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There's one week and three important matches left in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and the fact that all three will be played in Lyon is giving the production team at Telemundo a chance to shift operations and fully embrace the onsite excitement of the closing stages of the tournament.
Telemundo's Eli Velazquez (left) and Ivel Alfaro at Telemundo's World Cup studio. The production team is moving to Lyon for the final three matches.
We are pulling out all the stops for the two semis and final match as it is really convenient for us to do that, says Eli Valazquez, NBCUniversal Telemundo, EVP for sports content. We are working to secure a presentation studio inside the stadium right now.
The move to Lyon from Paris began on June 29 following a one-hour wrap up show at the conclusion of Sweden's victory over Germany. Ivel Alfaro, Telemundo Deportes, executive producer, has been overseeing operations on a rooftop in the 17th arrondissement in Paris with great views of both the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
The technical area for Telemundo's studio show in Paris passes signals back to Miami where cameras are controlled remotely.
We have a small technical area with engineering, lighting, and audio, she explains. We have three cameras that are directed and punched from a control room back in Miami. Then at the IBC here in Paris we have all the game signals.
With both the Women's World Cup and the Copa America being held in South America simultaneously it's been an all-hands-on-deck month for the Telemundo team. Approximately 30 have been on site in France for studio operations, 100 in Rio where Copa America operations are based, and then an additional 80 back home at Telemundo's facility in Miami coordinating and producing much of the final product from both tournaments.
We call it a virtuous circle as the two tournaments have been helping each other, says Velazquez. In the morning we can promote the night coverage and then at night we can promote the day coverage because we have heavy consumption during the primetime hours. So, it gives us a chance to push the women's game and showcase how exciting it's been.
The rooftop location is above the offices of Actua, a Paris-based production company. Having a production company located in the same building provided some operational benefits (most notably a very secure location) but it's the views that have made the difference. Other possible locations included the Trocadero or a barge on the Seine with a tight shot of the Eiffel Tower behind it.
Our goal was to give credit to this tournament and then, following the impression we left after last summer in Russia, it was incumbent on us to figure out a shot that really captures the country, says Velazquez. This has a Parisian feel and then we dressed it up with wood that when it is lit up at night seems metallic.
The outdoor location hasn't been without its challenges as on the first day winds in excess of 55 mph whipped around it and damaged the tarp (which was quickly repaired). And then there has been a heat wave which has gripped Paris and much of Europe during the past week with temperatures approaching 100 degrees. Those conditions have challenged both the production teams as well as players and even the fans.
Backup plans, in case of any real issues, would have involved a studio back in Miami but thankfully those backup plans never had to be implemented.
Telemundo, like Fox Sports, has found that the tournament is overdelivering and exceeding ratings expectations on both the digital and broadcast side. Numbers across the board are up compared to the 2015 tournament which was played in North America as the round of 16 matches averaged 363,000 viewers across Telemundo, Universo, NBCSN, and then on three digital outlets: TelemundoDeportes.com, the network's app, and the NBC Sports pp. That is a 73% increase over 2015 which averaged 210,000 viewers. And Monday's U.S.-Spain match posted a total audience of 740,000 to rank as the most-watched weekday FIFA Women's World Cup match in Spanish-language TV history.
Considering the time zone difference I was surprised but there has been a swell of interest in this game and with the movement we find ourselves in the world around empowerment it's the right thing to see the sport grow, says Velazquez. In the U.S. there are more women than man who grew up playing soccer and they are the consumers we seek so it's just natural to see that this game would take off. We are nothing but pleased with the performance of this World Cup and it's a great sign for the future.
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Live from 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: Telemundo's Rooftop Studio Highlights Coverage By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
