It's been redone nearly 400 times over the last 17 years, but one thing has stayed the same about ESPN’s “This is SportsCenter” advertisement: It’s always been in English.
That will change on Wednesday when ESPN introduces the first Spanish television ad for the network’s signature news program.
The ad follows the Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano as he makes his way around ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters giving high-fives and elaborate handshakes to staff members while unknowingly spreading a cold.
Pegged to Major League Baseball’s opening day, the ad, known as “Handshakes,” is the first time the network will show a Spanish ad on both ESPN Deportes, its Spanish-language sports channel, and its English-language sister channel ESPN2. A slightly modified English version will be broadcast during ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” program.
The Hispanic audience for ESPN has increased by 15 percent over the last five years, outpacing non-Hispanic audience growth.
Each quarter 29 million Hispanics connect with ESPN either through the cable channels, Web sites or apps, according to the network. Some 60 percent of those viewers will watch only ESPN’s English-language channels, while 20 percent watch only ESPN Deportes. READ MORE
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