Live From Super Bowl LII: Telemundo Deportes Boosts Onsite Presence
For its second Super Bowl, the Spanish-language broadcaster expands beyond the game
Telemundo Deportes will produce its second Spanish-language Super Bowl telecast tonight, following its inaugural effort in 2015 in Phoenix. Besides the game production, which will air on Universo and be streamed on the Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app and TelemundoDeportes.com, Telemundo has been onsite all week with a sizable presence throughout Minneapolis.
Inside NCP14, which is serving as home to Telemundo’s production of Super Bowl LII on Universo
“In our second time around at Super Bowl, we wanted to amplify our coverage around the event to be more inclusive of our regularly scheduled programs, like Titulares y Mas, as well as create more segments throughout our digital platforms across all of our mobile and web platforms,” says Eli Velazquez, EVP, Telemundo Deportes. “Holistically at NBCUniversal, we’re also utilizing every single sports tent pole we have this year to amplify all of the other things that we’ll be doing throughout the year — whether that’s Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, or the World Cup. With that in mind, we have a much larger presence on the ground here this year.”
Inside the Game Production: Customizing for a Hispanic Audience
Telemundo Deportes has rolled out NEP’s NCP14 mobile unit for its Spanish-language coverage, which kicks off at 6 p.m. ET with an onsite pregame special. Miguel Gurwitz will serve as the main host of the pre/postgame and halftime shows. Once the game kicks off, play-by-play caller Rene Giraldo and analyst Edgar Lopez will be in the booth with guest analyst former Arizona Cardinals guard Rolando Cantu. In addition, Veronica Contreras will report from the field and on the sideline.
“We will have all our announcers in-venue, and our sideline reporter Veronica Contreras will have a lot more mobility this year on the field to get some of the behind-the-scenes storylines,” says Velazquez. “We’re working with the folks from NBC Sports — [producer] Fred Gaudelli and [director] Drew Esocoff and their award-winning team that has a wealth of Super Bowl experience — to help cut the game. We’ll take their main cut of the game and will amplify around it and customize the experience for the Hispanic fan.”
Super Bowl Week: Titulares y Mas and a Parade of Talent
Telemundo Deportes’ game coverage is just the final chapter in an eventful week in Minneapolis. Its nightly sports program Titulares y Mas has broadcast from a set at Mall of America since Monday, providing extensive coverage that includes segments and reports by show host Karim Mendiburu and Cantu.
In addition, Erika Csiszer, from morning show Un Nuevo Dia, and Noticias Telemundo correspondent Ruben Pereida are joining the team onsite. In addition, regional Mexican singer and actor El Dasa (star of Universo’s original scripted series El Vato) has been on hand all week, featured in Super Bowl-themed segments at Nicollet Mall and the Mall of America.
“We got a very nice, really big crowd there to join our efforts at Mall of America, so it’s been a great week there,” says Velazquez. “We’ve also done a lot of shoots in and around the city, which I think has resulted in some phenomenal content. We are trying to bring the experience to our audience that couldn’t come up to Minneapolis — whether it’s with TyM or our digital teams out covering the [festivities] for social amplification. We have a very significant presence out here, especially when you consider we are in the midst of planning for the World Cup this summer.”