Seen on Screen: Univision Celebrates the Return of Bundesliga; Madden NFL 20 Bowl Wraps Up With Finals on May 16

Seen on Screen provides a roundup of the current sports programming landscape as networks deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In this week’s edition, major networks like NBC Sports, Fox Sports, and ESPN are combating the silence of no live sports with previously-released, taped, or archival content. Many networks have also continued producing live studio content – often with on-air talent located remotely.

Live soccer returns to TUDN, the undisputed Home of Soccer in the U.S., as Bundesliga, Germany’s top-tier league, resumes gameplay following the tournament’s shutdown in early March. TUDN’s coverage for the league’s return weekend will feature select matches telecast on UniMás and the TUDN network, as well as TUDN’s pre-show game Fútbol Central airing prior to matches. Games will also be streamed on the TUDN App and on TUDN.com. Future matches to be announced at a later date.

The league will pick up right where it left off on March 13, with Teuton giant Bayern Munich leading the tournament (55 pts) followed closely by Borussia Dortmund (51 pts). With nine matchdays left, only Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen have an extra matchday remaining (10 total), every game will be important as a misstep in the competition could cost Munich its 29th Bundesliga title.

Here is the following schedule for this weekend:

• Saturday, May 16
  • RB Leipzig vs Sport-Club Freiburg (9 a.m. ET) – TUDN
  • Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Mönchengladbach (11:30 a.m. ET) – TUDN
• Sunday, May 17
  • FC Union Berlin vs FC Bayern München (11:30 a.m. ET) – UniMás and TUDN…

…Eight of the best Madden NFL players in the world, including the No. 1 ranking in MCS points and youngest player in competitive Madden history to win an EA Major, will battle head to head to advance to the Madden NFL 20 Bowl Finals on Saturday, May 16 – where only one player will rise to win the coveted Madden Championship Series belt and a stake in the $220,000 prize pool. Competition will feature commentary from Madden NFL legends and casters Michael “Skimbo” Skimbo and Ryan “RG” Glick, providing real-time analysis and color on each of the concluding rounds.

Here is the schedule over the next two days:

• Friday, May 15 (5 to 9 p.m. ET)
  • Quarterfinals: LIVE EA SPORTS Twitch, YouTube, and the ESPN App
• Saturday, May 16 (5 to 9 p.m. ET)
  • Semifinals and Finals: LIVE on ESPN2, EA SPORTS Twitch, YouTube…

…ESPN will air the newly announced virtual racing series, Red Bull Homestretch, on Thursdays at noon ET starting on May 14 through June 18. This week will air on the ESPN app and ESPN.com, with the rest of the series on ESPN2 and the ESPN app.

Produced by Red Bull Media House, the playful take on the virtual race trend will pit real-world drivers from multiple disciplines – rally, rallycross, IndyCar, motocross, and more – against those with no race experience at all, including notable celebrities, musicians, athletes, and media personalities.

ESPN’s telecast of the Red Bull Homestretch race series is part of its commitment to bringing the sports community together through its #oneteam initiative.

The race will feature 10 drivers each week, with the majority of the lineup comprised of pros from various race disciplines who would never share a track in the real world. These drivers will be joining from around the globe and include:

• 17-time X Games medalist and rallycross/rally phenom Travis Pastrana
• 9x World Rally Champion and racing legend Sébastien Loeb
• IndyCar driver and Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi
• IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe
• 2019 World Rallycross and 2018 Nitro Rallycross champion Timmy Hansen
• Off-road driver and 3x Baja 500 winner Bryce Menzies
• Motocross/supercross champion Ken Roczen
• Former F1, NASCAR, IndyCar and current rallycross driver Scott Speed
• Chicago Cub Third Baseman Kris Bryant…

…Indianapolis 500 champions Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi will join NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico for an enhanced encore presentation of the 2019 Indianapolis 500 – Indy 500 Special: Back Home Again – on Sunday, May 24, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, celebrating “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and providing fans with exclusive, new content from the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The enhanced presentation will feature a pre-race conversation on-site from Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Tirico, 2019 champion Simon Pagenaud, and 2016 champ and last year’s runner-up Alexander Rossi, alongside the famed Yard of Bricks.

Once the green flag drops, Pagenaud and Rossi will provide exclusive commentary during the broadcast, sharing their personal perspectives on key moments throughout the race and their memorable back-and-forth battle. which punctuated NBC Sports’ inaugural Indy 500 broadcast last year.

The enhanced broadcast will also feature traditional pre-race elements to recognize the military traditions of the Indy 500, as well as special additions to honor those who are currently fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coverage will also include an essay by Tim Layden on a look at a different “Month of May” and a look ahead to the return of racing at IMS. NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will provide commentary looking ahead to the start of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR Series at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 6, on NBCSN.