Fox Sports Media Group and Univision Deportes, the sports arm of Univision Communications Inc., will televise all 25 Gold Cup (Copa Oro) matches during July.
The biennial CONCACAF tournament kicks off on July 7 with Canada vs. Martinique at 5:30 p.m., followed by defending champion Mexico’s match against Panama at 8 p.m.
The 2013 tournament -- the premiere event for FIFA’s North American, Central American and Caribbean confederation, showcasing a dozen national teams divided into a trio of four-side groups – marks the first time Fox, will air the entire competition. FSMG also holds the English-language Stateside rights to the 2015 Gold Cup.
Gus Johnson will call the action from Mexico’s first match live from Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, with analysis from U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Cobi Jones on Fox Soccer Channel. Rob Stone hosts on-site pregame, halftime and postgame coverage with analysts Eric Wynalda and Warren Barton.
Moreover, Fox Broadcast will step up onto the tournament’s pitch for the first time with the U.S. vs. Cuba group stage match from Salt Lake City’s Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday July 13 at 3 p.m.(ET); the quarterfinal round from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday July 21 at 3:30 p.m.; and the final from Chicago’s Soldier Field a week later at the same time. Johnson and Jones will be paired for all three matches on Fox, working in tandem with Fox Soccer’s studio side.
For its part, Univision Deportes, which last October renewed its Copa Ora rights as part of a decade-long pact with CONCACAF, will provide coverage on broadcast, cable and interactive platforms. The opening doubleheader, as well as the final, will be simulcast on the Univision broadcast service, as well as the dedicated Univision Deportes cable network. All match coverage will be preceded by 30 minutes of pre-match coverage on Futbol Central (Soccer Central), featuring special guests offering their analysis of the upcoming contests.
The U.S. Spanish-language leader will live-stream all 2013 Copa Oro matches in the U.S. and Puerto Rico at UnivisionDeportes.com, online and on the mobile web, and will feature a Facebook plug-in with real-time commentary from fans. In-depth online and mobile coverage will be updated as the tournament unfolds, including game highlights, daily stats and standings, among other content.
The 2011 Gold Cup final -- Mexico topped the U.S. by a 4-2 count -- averaged 7.98 million viewers on Univision and 945,000 on Fox Soccer Channel.
