Azteca America to Sell Ad Time for beIN Sports

beIN Sports USA has made a deal with HC2 Network in which HC2’s Azteca America will exclusively sell advertising on beIN’s sports channels in the U.S.

The agreement covers beIN Sports, beIN Sports en Espanol and the streaming platform beIN Sports Connect.

Last year, beIN was dropped by two major carriers, Comcast and DirecTV.

beIN previously had its own internal ad sales staff. It was unclear how many staffers are being displaced by the new arrangement.

“It is a new day at beIN Sports USA as we combine the stellar market reputation of Azteca America with the global sports portfolio and industry excellence of our programming to deliver innovative options to advertisers throughout the U.S.,” said Antonio Briceño, beIN SPORTS' deputy managing director for the U.S. and Canada. “

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Craig Geller, executive VP of HC2 Network, it provides an opportunity for both companies to maximize revenue and help advertisers reach their coveted audiences.

Azteca will be selling ad in both languages. “beIN Sports’ language is sports and delivers an engaged and passionate audience in both Spanish and English,” Geller said.

beIN Sports gets ratings from Nielsen and already has many sponsors among the top Fortune 500 brands.

“This partnership is representative of the change that is occurring in our industry. It provides the ability for two major brands with strong brand equity to effectively compete and provide greater scale and opportunity for our advertising partners. In this age of change,” Geller said. "I am super excited to represent both brands.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.