This post is also available in: Spanish
Nike´s "Pride" model
This past Sunday, I was watching Sunday Night Football on NBC and noticed that one of the featured sponsors/corporate sponsors was Telemundo. According to Peter O’Reilly, NFL VP of Fan Strategy and Marketing, more than 32 million Hispanics watched NFL football during the 2010 season. Telemundo and the NFL currently have a deal to simulcast a certain number of games in Spanish until the end of the 2013 season.
The NFL and the other Hispanic media giant, Univision, have also teamed up to bring you NFL.com/español. On this site, you get scores, highlights and information as it relates to the NFL and its players. The NFL is aided in their efforts to reach Hispanics in part by their Hispanic stars, such as Tony Romo, Roberto Garza and Tony Gonzalez. They also have young, up-and-coming players such as Mark Sanchez, Aaron Hernandez and Victor Cruz. Earlier this year Ron Rivera became the third Hispanic head coach in the NFL history.
However, the NFL isn’t the only major sports organization that recognizes the Hispanic influence on the game. In the NBA you might see the LA Lakers wearing a “Los Lakers” jersey, or in MLB you might see the San Francisco Giants wear a “Gigantes” jersey.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, ESPN.com has set up a page on their site where there are various stories about Hispanics in sports. On ESPN Classic, you can watch documentaries on such legendary athletes as Julio Cesar Chavez, Nancy Lopez and Fernando Valenzuela. It is definitely great to see the sports community recognize and reward the achievements and efforts of Hispanic athletes in the US.
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