• by David Goetzl , May 20, 2008

As it looks to conclude favorable retransmission consent deals, Univision said Monday it will soon make available a VOD library of more than 1,000 hours, including matches from the 2010 World Cup.

The content--from Univision and sister networks TeleFutura and Galavision--will be available in January. In addition to the world's premiere soccer event, where full matches will be accessible, offerings will include a leading Latin music awards show, films and news programming. Univision will not be able to offer its popular telenovelas, since they are produced by Televisa.

The announcement indicates that Univision intends to offer MSOs the VOD rights to its content as a chip, in exchange for higher sub fees in the retrans deals it is currently hammering out. Univision is negotiating with MSOs regarding carriage of its slew of local owned-and-operated stations.

The deals are likely to give the MSOs rights to offer the VOD content across their respective footprints. Comcast might pay to carry the Univision stations in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other markets, while receiving the rights to offer the VOD content to all of its 24 million customers.

Tonia O'Connor, who is heading the retrans negotiations for Univision, said the "quality and extent" of the VOD palate "positions us to meet the needs of both our viewers, who want expanded access, and our distribution partners, who need to effectively compete in today's crowded television space."

In the meantime, Cox Communications, the major cable operator in New Orleans, has inked a co-marketing deal with the city's NFL franchise. Technically, Cox becomes the Saints' "exclusive telecommunications provider," giving it the right to mingle its brand with a team that has fervent support along the Gulf Coast.

The three-year deal also allows a Cox-owned regional sports network to continue carrying Saints pre-season games and other programming. On the promotional front, Cox will be able to incorporate the Saints logo and other assets on its Web site, bills and customer newsletters, while displaying its messages on the scoreboard inside the Louisiana Super Dome, where the team plays.

In New York, Bravo said Trez Thomas has joined the network in a top marketing role from Lifetime. Thomas becomes vice president, brand strategy and creative director, overseeing development of on-air promos, trade campaigns and consumer targeting initiatives. Before Lifetime, Thomas worked as a director on the first 72 episodes of Comedy Central's "Beavis & Butt-Head." At Lifetime, she rose to vice president and group creative director, a role that covered advertising and promotions for the company's three networks.

In another example of how willing Discovery is to open its checkbook in support of its new Planet Green channel, the company has acquired the rights to HGTV series "Living With Ed." The series, which debuts June 4, follows actor Ed Begley, Jr.--who plays attorney David Boies in HBO's coming film about the disputed 2000 election--in eco-friendly adventures when the new environmentally friendly-focused network goes live.