TUDN, the United States-based Spanish-language sports network, has teamed up with Liga MX to broadcast the Mexican top-flight league’s new esports competition, the “eLiga MX by BBVA Tournament.”
Player representatives from each Liga MX club will compete in the EA Sports FIFA 20 gaming tournament on PlayStation 4 consoles. Each Liga MX club will be represented by three players from its roster, who in turn will compete as their real-life team throughout the tournament.
Starting on April 10, the 17-matchday season will mirror this year’s Clausura schedule with the top eight teams advancing to a single elimination playoff format.
Additionally, the play-by-play commentary will be performed by TUDN talent and include special guest commentary by Liga MX players. All matches will be telecast on TUDN, a Univision property, and streamed on TUDN.com and the TUDN app. There will be additional content on TUDN Twitter and Facebook channels.
“We are excited to be able to work with our partners at Liga MX to bring this competition to our fanáticos during these unprecedented times,” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Univision’s president of sports. “Our goal is for this tournament to serve as an outlet that can unite our community in a whole new way around the sport of soccer. We hope our fans enjoy the broadcast and the opportunity to see their favorite players battle it out like never before.”
Liga MX is following in the footsteps of numerous sports organizations who have leveraged their esports properties as a means to stay active and relevant in the indefinite absence of live athletic action in arenas and on broadcast channels amid the Covid-19 pandemic. They include the National Basketball Association, Nascar, LaLiga, Formula 1, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, IndyCar and Major League Rugby, among others.
Meanwhile, Major League Soccer’s DC United has put a “handful” of employees on furlough, according to the Washington Post. In addition, several members of the coaching staff have agreed to defer part of their salaries until the economic situation improves, while high-ranking front office members are accepting pay cuts.
The move comes a day after SportBusiness revealed that the United Soccer League put some front office staff on furlough, while Real Salt Lake announced layoffs and cutbacks.
Elsewhere, the trial date for the gender discrimination dispute between members of the US women’s national team and the United States Soccer Federation has been pushed back from May 5 to June 16.
