“The alliance with Grupo Codere demonstrates the confidence of a major global brand in the online gaming and sports betting business. Box Azteca is a very mature product, which last year celebrated its 15th anniversary, and we are sure that this gives it the strength to be a long-term agreement. This means that the product will continue to grow and remain on the air for a long time,” said Rafael Rodríguez, CEO of TV Azteca.
Regarding the balance of the first quarter, the executive said: “The balance is very positive in general, although the broadcasting rights for sporting events are becoming more and more complicated, expensive and difficult to obtain; they are becoming very desirable products for different platforms. The players are not only broadcasters but also pay TV and OTTs. In Azteca Deportes we have managed to have a good offer of sports content, from national soccer to all boxing events on Saturdays, being a diamond when Canelo or Andy Ruiz fights. We even have women’s and European soccer, among others, on our digital platforms”.
“With respect to rating and share, these are measurements that you can see from the front, from above, from below and from the side. The competition can tell you one thing, but we are achieving the objectives we set at the beginning of the year in terms of rating and share. We do not focus on a good programming offer, especially in prime time, which is where we put practically all our energy, to have quality programs, such as “Survivor”, “Exatlon”, and “La Voz”, “Master Chef”, etc. We have good results, and we complete this with high-quality sports content, such as boxing, soccer and now special events such as the Olympics and the World Cup.
Regarding the news and the offer they are preparing for Qatar, Rafael Rodríguez said: “We are about to close a deal with the NFL in the near future. We have the broadcasting rights for 32 World Cup matches in Qatar, including the inauguration, Mexico’s group stage matches, and matches in the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals. If it reaches the final, we will have all of the Mexican national team’s matches, in addition to special programs on Azteca 7 in the morning, at noon, and at night with sports analysts, complemented by some entertainment, and comedy magazine programs. This offer allows us to maintain the balance of what a free-to-air TV channel should be, to have entertainment for all types of audiences, from news, entertainment, live programming and sports”.
Regarding competition with streaming platforms, the CEO of TV Azteca said: “In terms of sports, it is complicated because it depends on the specific discipline. We have made an effort to maintain quality sports content, which is free and easily accessible to all Mexicans, and this can be achieved through broadcast TV. Streaming platforms may have important and relevant content, but they have a big entry barrier, especially in a country like Mexico, since you need significant internet access, and that costs. Another point is to pay a monthly subscription, then that greatly limits access to sports content on those types of platforms.”
“The numbers are clear, it has nothing to do when you watch a fight or boxing match on a Saturday night, the number of people who see you, the audience that open TV generates, versus a streaming platform content. Sports content must begin to rethink what they want to do to maximize their distribution,” he concluded.