US broadcaster Univision has revealed that it sold $135m (€118.5m) in advertising for the Copa América Centenario, almost double what it paid for the domestic Spanish-language rights to the national team football tournament two years ago.
Spanish-language rights in the US were sold by the Datisa joint venture company to Univision in May 2014 for about $70m.
Univision president Juan Carlos Rodriguez told the Bloomberg news agency that the total advertising sales of $135m amount to 20 per cent more than it originally anticipated. Argentina is set to face Chile on Sunday in the tournament’s final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Univision, which Bloomberg said has spent $5m on its coverage of the Copa América Centenario, has been the most watched US sports network in June, ahead of both ESPN and Fox Sports.
The news comes ahead of Univision’s plans to launch an initial public offering in the second half of the year. Bloomberg said the broadcaster could raise as much as $1bn through the offering.