During its 2013 Upfront presentation in NYC, ESPN Deportes put major focus on second screen and original programming. The sports net highlighted that it was airing 17 hours live daily programming and unveiled ESPN Sync, the soon-to-launch second screen experience for sports fans.
Here’s the program offerings for the new season:
Road to Brazil 2014: Game around the Game
In anticipation of the World Cup, ESPN Deportes will develop a lineup that will feature the brand’s news and information programming and original content, featuring stories behind the world of soccer. Among them:
Destino Brasil: The pre- and post-match analysis dedicated to the World Cup Qualifying matches on the road to Brazil will continue to air on FIFA WCQ dates with the latest news and analysis around CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA Confederations and the Mexican National Team. ESPN Deportes will continue to air qualifying matches on every FIFA date primarily featuring UEFA teams including Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Netherlands. The network will also continue presenting FIFA friendly matches.
Destino Futbol: A 16-episode documentary series uncovering the sport’s most intricate stories. Featuring superstars of the past and present, the series profiles players like Lionel Messi, Chicharito and Diego Maradona, amongst others.
Capitales del Futbol: After its first two seasons, Capitales returns with profiles of some of the most popular soccer cities that have seen World Cup stars rise. The new edition of Capitales features London, Guadalajara, Medellín, Montevideo and Rome.
Gringos at the Gate: the first documentary that takes viewers inside the rivalry between Mexico and the U.S., tracing its origin and influence among the fans.
Dream Job: El Reportero: Returning for its third installment later this year, the nationwide casting tour will again give the opportunity to aspiring sportscasters across the nation to compete for a chance to serve as a reporter and join the ESPN Deportes staff traveling to Brazil in 2014.
ESPN Films- More soccer films and shorts: the award-winning producers from ESPN Films will create a new limited series highlighting some of the most compelling stories around soccer. Produced as a singular collection of original films and short vignettes, the series will exemplify the essence of the game of soccer by being both tragic and uplifting. All content will be produced for Spanish, English and Portuguese audiences.
Live Sports Programming:
NBA Finals en Español
Starting this season, ESPN Deportes will televise the NBA Finals. This marks the first time that any Spanish-language cable network will offer live coverage of the championship games.
More MLB Games Across ESPN Deportes Platforms
As part of ESPN’s new multiplatform rights extension with MLB, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes+, the ESPN3 broadband extension available on ESPNdeportes.com, will carry more games throughout the week, including Sunday, Monday and Wednesday night games starting next season. In addition, the network will televise Opening Night, a game from Opening Day, holiday games and the Home Run Derby.
Liga MX and Copa MX
ESPN Deportes recently acquired the rights to more Mexican soccer matches. Under the new agreement, the network now televises over 120 Liga MX and Copa MX matches through each season. In addition, both properties are also available on ESPN Deportes+, the ESPN3 broadband extension available on ESPNdeportes.com.
ESPN Sync
Second-Screen feature complements ESPN’s multiplatform experience:
ESPN Deportes unveils ESPN Sync, a Spanish-language web-based app that enhances sports consumption with a unique second-screen experience, accessible across multiple platforms.
ESPN Sync provides users with a real-time experience synchronized with live sports events, while also supporting ESPN Deportes’ news and information shows before, during and after events.
ESPN Sync will launch later this year and will be available on any platform, iOS, Android or Windows without the need to download any supporting software.