ESPN Deportes and ESPN celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Hispanic Heritage Month

  ESPN and ESPN Deportes kick off the month-long celebration with One Nacion: ESPN Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Hispanic Heritage Month, a show centered around the countdown of the top 10 most influential Hispanic athletes of all times, airing on both networks Tuesday, September 17 at 8 p.m. ET.

Produced out of Los Angeles with a live audience, the 60-minute primetime special will reveal the countdown highlighting some of the most renowned Hispanic athletes, such as Roberto Clemente, Mariano Rivera, Lionel Messi and Oscar de la Hoya. Throughout the last three months, a blue ribbon panel of athletes, journalists, entertainers and other Hispanic community leaders were invited by ESPN to vote and rank the Top 10 from an initial list of 50 athletes. During the show, special guests will unveil the list while discussing the challenges, opportunities and influential moments that the top ten athletes have experienced during their careers and lives. The show will be bilingual with interviews and discussions in English and Spanish.

One Nacion will be hosted by ESPN Deportes’ Adriana Monsalve and ESPN’s SportsCenter anchor Max Bretos with a lineup of renowned guests that include: two of the greatest boxers of all time Roberto Duran and Julio Cesar Chavez; former MLB stars and ESPN analysts Nomar Garciaparra and Candy Maldonado; Cuban-Puerto Rican softball star Lisa Fernandez; Mexican-America former quarterback Jim Plunkett; first Hispanic starting quarterback in NFL Tom Flores; Puerto Rican hall of famer golf  star Chi Chi Rodriguez; Puerto Rican actress Rosie Perez; Roberto Clemente’s family including his wife Vera and two sons Luis and Roberto Jr.; and ESPN commentators Alexi Lalas, Adriana Monsalve, Fernando Palomo, and Jorge Ramos.

The show will also unveil a special donation to the Bresee Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles.  The donation is earmarked for sports equipment and is being made on behalf of ESPN and in honor of the number one athlete on the list.

The special evening at Club Mayan includes Latin Grammy winner Daddy Yankee’s live performance of his song “Limbo” with Grammy-winning band Ozomatli also performing throughout the show.

One Nacion is presented by Jack Daniel’s and Gillette. The two brands are integrated into the one-hour special show. In the social space, Gillette will sponsor a live Twitter fan vote encouraging fans to discuss the countdown and make their choice between the #1 and #2 athletes. Jack Daniel’s will sponsor a recap of the top ten athletes during the show as the top two athletes get revealed.

In addition to the one-hour special show, the brands will be integrated throughout different live events and programming scheduled for the month on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, including vignettes that feature Hispanic athletes. These will run in content time during Sunday Night Baseball, Sunday NFL Countdown, Sportscenter, live soccer matches, etc. The vignettes feature athletes such as Carmelo Anthony (NBA), Sergio Romo (MLB), Victor Cruz (NFL), Tony Gonzalez (NFL), Cain Velasquez (UFC), Omar Gonzalez (MLS), Servando Carrasco (MLS), Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (Boxing). The brands are also integrated within soccer-related trivia questions that will air during commercial time.

In addition to the show and athlete profiles, ESPN and ESPN Deportes have scheduled a variety of programming and special content showcasing the influence, traditions and accomplishments of the U.S. Hispanic community in the world of sports:

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS (all eastern times)

•    #MiDeseo – for the second year in a row, ESPN will air the “Mi Deseo” segments in alliance with the Make-A-Wish Foundation on ESPN Deportes’ SportsCenter. This four-feature series, highlighting the stories of Latino kids and their wishes, debuts September 15 and runs every Sunday there on until October 6. Mi Deseo kicks off with the story of a 17-year-old Brazilian tennis fan whose wish was to meet tennis great Roger Federer. Other features include the story of an 18-year-old Patriots fan, an argentine kid who meets the emblematic River Plate Club team and a teenager who gets to spend some time with his favorite baseball team, the Dodgers.
    
•    One Nacion – One-Hour Special on September 17 at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (Re-air on ESPN2 Wednesday, September 18 at 8 p.m.)
    
•    Wednesday Night Baseball – ESPN will present special Hispanic Heritage Month content during the September 18th Los Angeles Dodgers vs, Arizona Diamondbacks telecast with commentators Ravech, Mulder, Nomar and Pedro Gomez.
    
•    30 for 30 – No Mas premieres on October 12 on ESPN Deportes and October 15 on ESPN. No Mas unveils for the first time what really happened during the second clash between boxing legends Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran and the two words uttered at this encounter, creating a sense of mystery, bewilderment and intrigue to the present day. The documentary goes behind the scenes of these two showdowns with the help of boxing experts, family members and the two fighters themselves.
    
•    The Clemente Effect – the feature-length documentary that chronicles the life and accomplishments of Roberto Clemente will re-air on September 20, 21 and 22 at 10 p.m. on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Classic.
    
•    Monday Night Football – NFL and ESPN team up to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month during Monday Night Football on September 23rd at 8:30 p.m. when Oakland Raiders faces Denver Broncos. The ESPN and ESPN Deportes telecasts of the game will integrate special graphic integrations and features in both English and Spanish.
    
•    Gringos at the Gate – ESPN Deportes debuts the documentary Gringos at the Gate on September 28 at 10 p.m. The film takes viewers inside the rivalry between Mexico and the U.S., tracing its origin and influence among the fans. Unveiling the power and influence that a 90-minute game can hold, the film travels to both countries to explore the rivalry through the eyes of the fans, players, coaches and soccer experts. Gringos at the Gate touches on the rise of U.S. soccer and its impact on Mexican fans, the rising opportunity for the sport in the U.S, and the influence the rivalry has on the evolving cultural identities and team loyalties of the growing Mexican-American population.
    
•    MLS – ESPN and ESPN Deportes will present live coverage of the NY Red Bulls vs. Seattle Sounders match on September 29 at 9 p.m. that will feature marquee Hispanic players such as Freddy Montero, Servando Carrasco and Fabian Espindola.
    
•    E60 Special – a one-hour compilation of Hispanic athlete segments airing September 30 at 8 p.m. on ESPN

 

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