Fox Corporation has announced that it acquired Mexican sports broadcasting platform Caliente TV as the company looks to expand its sports programming slate and bring more customers to its forthcoming streaming service. Longtime industry executive Carlos Martinez will serve as the executive vice president and managing director of Latin America for Fox Corporation. Under his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing broadcast strategy in the region, along with the transition of Caliente TV in Mexico and the launch of the channel in Central America.
“FOX’s investment to acquire Caliente TV reflects our commitment to building a leading sports streaming business in Mexico with massive audience reach, a robust sports rights portfolio and an impressive roster of exclusive sports leagues and talent,” Martinez said in a statement.
Concurrent with this acquisition, FOX will be developing a multiplatform business consisting of introducing a new pay television channel and subscription video on demand (SVOD) platform. This will join the existing Tubi advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) platform responsible for producing and disseminating over 3,000 hours of original sports content.
In addition, the network will gain a portfolio of broadcast rights to utilize across owned and operated platforms. Some of these include the Premier League and the FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, CONCACAF Champions Cup and NASCAR Mexico Series among other entities. The new FOX platforms debuting in Mexico and Central America are expected to employ more than 350 people both directly and indirectly, and it grants FOX broader reach ahead of releasing the Fox One direct-to-consumer streaming service later in the year.
Earlier in the week, data from Nielsen Media Research revealed the viewership share of streaming television surpassed linear offerings for the first time in the United States. Yet Mike Mulvihill, president of insights and analytics for FOX Sports, explained that marquee sporting events continue to hit either multiyear or record highs while on broadcast television and that it only makes sense if thinking about live and on-demand television as distinctive businesses. In addition, FOX recently registered the most-watched Super Bowl broadcast of all time, accruing an average of 127.7 million U.S. viewers on television and streaming platforms as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
