Activism: It Isn't Just for Politics Anymore [UPDATED]

It’s taken some time, but Match Fit USA has finally percolated up enough outrage to take action. And you can help.

The issue is the USMNT v. Mexico World Cup qualifier. While the Spanish-language broadcast will be on Telemundo, an English version will only be available on something called mun2. To be honest, most of us were unaware what that was.

Telemundo owns both the Spanish and English rights for Mexican matches. There’s a brief rundown of how it came to pass that English-speaker will have to seek out an outlet with a footprint that reaches 1-10th of of US Americans, but the Cliff’s Notes version is:

Since 2000, Telemundo has had a contract to show Mexican matches on U.S. television. For past USA-Mexico qualifiers at Azteca, the game would end up being shown on an ESPN outlet because the U.S. Soccer Federation had a formal relationship with Telemundo. But for the past two years the USSF has worked with Telemundo's rival, Univision, which shows USA matches on its main network as well as Galavision and Telefutura.

Your help comes in the form of making your displeasure of having to find a cable outlet that mightn’t even exist on your system known to people with more influence and power.

NBC-Universal has many other outlets with much wider penetration. They might be persuaded to move the match if they were told how upset people will be with them if they miss the first time the USMNT wins at Azteca ever.

You can click on the Match Fit link (first paragraph) for a long rundown. But if you’re too lazy to click more than once, here’s a link to the online petition.

And if you feel your sphere of influence has a larger radius than your wingspan, please pass the link on to soccer-watching friends or people who simply like to irritate massive media conglomerates.



[UPDATE: We decided that a pay petition is about the lamest thing ever. The petition link above is still encouraged, but we received another email with the following message attached:

Below I have provided NBC executive email addresses and phone numbers to contact the respective individuals who do work for NBC sports. All I request is that you get the message to your readers and listeners to contact these individuals kindly and courteously and beseech that they move this extremely important match from Mun2 to a widely received channel with HD.

NBC Sports Office
nbcsports@nbcuni.com
nbcsportshelp@nbcuni.com

Walker, Brian
Senior Director - Communications
Phone: (212) 664- 5533
Fax: (212) 664-6035
Project Assignment: "Notre Dame Football" "PGA Tour" "Ryder Cup" "Senior PGA Championship" "Football Night in America" "U.S. Open & USGA Championships" "National Hockey League"
Division(s): NBC Sports
brian.walker@nbcuni.com

Freifeld, Adam
Director - Communications
Phone: (212) 664-6772
Fax: (212) 664-6035
Project Assignment: "Wimbledon" "The Kentucky Derby" "Preakness Stakes" "NBC Sunday Night Football" "French Open"
Division(s): NBC Sports
adam.freifeld@nbcuni.com

Iorio, Lyndsay
Coordinator - Communications
Phone: (212) 664-2160
Fax: (212) 664-6035
Project Assignment: "National Heads-Up Poker Championship" "2007 AVP Crocs Tour on NBC"
Division(s): NBC Sports
Lyndsay.Iorio@nbcuni.com

DICK EBERSOL
Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics
dick.ebersol@nbcuni.com
Duncan.Ebersol@nbcuni.com

Perkins Miller
Vice President, NBC Universal Sports
Perkins.Miller@nbcuni.com

Kenneth Schanzer
President, NBC Universal Sports
Kenneth.Schanzer@nbcuni.com

Jeff Zucker
Presiden and CEO of NBC Universal
Jeff.Zucker@nbcuni.com]

Read more on "Activism: It Isn't Just for Politics Anymore [UPDATED]"...