Sportsrocket To Power Univision Digital Efforts for Prospects Cup in December

Company will provide extensive media distribution, including tournament highlights and social-video creation

Univision Communications has tapped Sportsrocket to be the exclusive live-stream provider for the inaugural Prospects Cup, a landmark boys’ U12 soccer event taking place in December. In addition, Sportsrocket’s proprietary digital platform will provide extensive media distribution, including tournament highlights and social-video creation.

The inaugural Prospects Cup will be held in December.

“The Prospects Cup is a tremendous new youth soccer event that UCI Live is introducing later this year, and everyone at Sportsrocket is honored and excited to be working with them to make their digital-video strategy a reality,” says Brian Bedol, founder/CEO, Sportsrocket. “In addition to streaming every match, we look forward to providing fans of this prestigious event the ability to follow it closely, at any time, on any platform or device.”

Inspired by baseball’s Little League World Series, Prospects Cup will bring together 16 of the most talented domestic and international amateur U12 teams competing in a first-of-its-kind competition to determine the sport’s first youth-soccer world champion. The Prospects Cup will be held Dec. 18-22 at the Omni Resort ChampionsGate Sports Complex in Kissimmee, FL.

“UCI Live is always looking for new and creative ways to deliver a captivating 360 experience to our soccer fans,” says Rick Alessandri, EVP, enterprise development, UCI/head of UCI Live. “As an innovative industry leader in their field, we are confident that Sportsrocket will enhance and elevate viewership of the inaugural Prospects Cup in the U.S. and around the world.”

The round-robin tournament will feature eight U.S.-based boys’ teams and eight clubs from around the globe. The U.S. teams accepting invitations to compete are academy teams from Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs FC Dallas, LA Galaxy, and Orlando City Soccer; U.S. Youth Soccer teams Pachuca Tuzos Academy (Phoenix) and Real Jersey FC (Medford, NJ); U.S. Development Academy’s Weston Soccer Club (Miami), Sockers FC (Chicago), and Global Premier Soccer (Boston). Among the international teams are Serie A’s AS Roma; Liga MX’s Club Deportivo Guadalajara and Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V.; and Premier League’s Manchester City, with more to be confirmed. In August, UCI Live announced its partnership with 19-year-old soccer phenom Christian Pulisic, who will serve as an athlete ambassador for the inaugural Prospects Cup.

Sportsrocket provides integrated solutions for production, distribution, management, and monetization across multiple platforms for a wide range of high-profile partners, including ELEAGUE, Big Ten Network, AS Roma, National Lacrosse League, Major League Soccer, PGA Tour, and Network A, an action- and adventure-sports channel. In April, Sportsrocket introduced Sportsrocket Turbine, the first live-sports-syndication platform to empower rightsholders to reach fans wherever they consume, on almost any platform, within the platform’s native player.

Earlier this year, Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, made a strategic investment in Sportsrocket. The latest investment helps speed the company’s purpose-built, best-in-class technology platform’s growth globally, expanding its ability to deliver innovative video and content. In addition to Virgin Group, Sportsrocket investors include Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers; AS Roma owner Jim Pallotta; and venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates.