Univision Deportes Rebranded as TUDN' in New Collaboration with Grupo Televisa Besides the TV channel, the brand covers a radio network, mobile app, TUDN.com By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - 9:27 am
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Univision Communications has rebranded its Univision Deportes cable network and digital platforms as TUDN (pronounced tu-de-ene or my sports network in English). The new media brand will debut this summer with the rebranding of Univision's No. 1 Spanish-language sports network as the flagship TUDN channel. The TUDN brand and channel will debut in Mexico simultaneously as part of a collaboration between the sports divisions of Univision and Grupo Televisa.
The effort will elevate and expand coverage for audiences in both the U.S. and Mexico by bringing together programming and talent from each nation. Univision will continue to deliver more live soccer than any other U.S. media company while offering new programming, talent, and enhanced production capabilities.
Univision has long been the industry leader in high-quality live soccer, and this collaboration represents another major step forward, says Univision CEO Vince Sadusky. Simply put, we are delivering on our viewers' passion for soccer by giving them more of the content they love through an enhanced television and digital experience.
Adds Univision President, Sports, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, This year, Univision will account for more than half of all soccer viewership, more than 80% in primetime. Our flagship sports network regularly delivers greater viewership than English-language competitors with greater distribution, exemplifying the passion our community has for the beautiful game. Under this new powerhouse brand, we are excited to grow our leadership and super-serve soccer fan ticos with the highest-quality programming and insight from an A-list roster of experts.
Univision's portfolio of networks - TUDN, Univision, UniM s, and Galavisi n - will continue to deliver a wide selection of live soccer in the U.S., including the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Euro 2020, Liga MX, MLS, the U.S. and Mexican men's and women's national teams, and UEFA Champions League.
In addition to television, the TUDN brand will reach sports fans through the TUDN Radio Network, the TUDN mobile app, and TUDN.com. Visitors to the website and app will find Spanish-language news, analysis, scores, highlights, and schedules, as well as live-streaming capabilities for authenticated TUDN subscribers.
Distributors To Offer Even More Soccer
With the launch of TUDN, Univision will introduce a suite of additional live soccer offerings this year, in conjunction with its distribution partners, at no additional cost to viewers. The company says these brand extensions will maximize the value of Univision's live-rights portfolio, provide incremental value to distribution partners, and better serve soccer enthusiasts:
TUDNxtra: Subscribers to participating pay-TV services in the U.S. will now have live access to all of TUDN's exclusive soccer matches through TUDNxtra. This package will offer soccer fans a wealth of additional top-flight competition throughout the year, with hundreds of exclusive matches from UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, the UEFA European Qualifiers, and Liga MX, the most-watched soccer league in the U.S.
Zona Futbol: With matches taking place between top clubs all over Europe, it's virtually impossible for soccer fans to catch every goal or big play in real time on a UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League match day. That's where Zona Futbol comes in. This new whip-around show offers the ultimate soccer-viewing experience to pay-TV subscribers in the U.S., delivering the best action from concurrent Group Stage matches as they happen, Top TUDN talent will guide viewers from game to game across the continent with key context and expert analysis.
Subscribers to TUDN through participating pay-TV services will have access to this content through the TUDN app on a wide range of devices, as well as through their set-top box, at no additional charge. One major pay-TV provider has already signed on to carry both TUDNxtra and Zona Futbol, with more agreements expected in the coming months. Both services are slated to launch at the start of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League season in September.
TUDN To Introduce New Content, Talent
The flagship TUDN network will continue to present content and personalities while also introducing U.S. audiences to new top-tier programming and talent.
New content offerings will include:
Acci n (Sundays, 4:00 p.m. ET): The top plays and highlights of the week packed into one hour. A fast-paced highlights-only show covers all sports and summarizes the week's can't-miss action.
+Deporte (Monday-Friday, 3:00 p.m.; Sundays, 11:00 a.m.): A fresh, real-time look at the state of sports in the U.S., Mexico, and around the world, including soccer, NFL, NBA, and MLB; enriched with live reporting from training grounds as teams prepare for their next games.
La Jugada (Sundays, midnight): The best weekend sports magazine on television. The place to relive the most important events and news of the weekend, mixed with interviews, in-depth reports, and profiles from around the world of sports. Includes sections dedicated to soccer, NFL, MLB, and NBA.
@TUTribuna (Monday-Friday, 9:00 p.m.): The social-media show where sports fans are part of the action. Top TUDN talent examine the latest social-media trends and interact with sports personalities and fans through different platforms.
Versus (Mondays, 10:00 p.m.): In-depth discussion that goes beyond the headlines. An agenda-setting sports-editorial program that takes fans deeper; the place where newsmakers come to share their perspectives.
