ESPN: Planning ambitious operation for 2014 World Cup

ESPN has a strategy called internally “the game around the game,” where the company deploys large-scale operations around sporting events, regardless of whether they hold the broadcasting rights for the event. That is the case of upcoming events such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup.Rodolfo Martínez, VP of Production and Operations of ESPN International and Deportes, spoke with PRODU at the company’s headquarters in Bristol, CT, about the operation for the 2014 World Cup and other important events.“We try to be at the epicenter of things and the Brazil World Cup will not be an exception. We’re preparing a very ambitious operation. We offered a sneak peek with Copa Confederaciones, but that is only 10% of what we plan to do. The Copacabana studio will be much bigger and we’ll have coverage on all our shows,” said Martínez.The channel will have over 20 people in front of the cameras, with 10 mobile teams covering the entire country, and a production support team of about 70 people. “The result will be video content that will live on TV, online, on the radio and on mobile devices,” added Martínez.To complement the audience’s experience, ESPN Deportes is launching ESPN Sync. Its debut as a second screen offered users additional information on the recent boxing match where Floyd Mayweather defeated Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez.“ESPN Sync will be a second screen or a best buddy to watch soccer matches and other events and be well informed,” said Martínez.Another vital operation in the works for ESPN is the 2014 Super Bowl. “We always offer a week of coverage and the game because we hold the rights to it. Our key events are the Super Bowl, the Champions League and the World Cup,” he added.