Getting Their Kicks
ESPN Deportes is giving Latino sports fans in the U.S. 10 million reasons — and then some — to tune in to its cable TV and radio networks and read its magazine.
The Hispanic arm of Disney sports property ESPN launched a three-part promotional effort this summer that includes a 12-market tour, an 18-city radio sweeps and a national sweeps with a potential grand prize of $10 million.
Winning the $10 million won’t be simple. Chosen at random from the online and phone-entered sweepstakes, a winner will have one attempt during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys game on New Year’s Day to kick an empty-net soccer goal from mid-field (about 50 yards), then a 40-yard field goal. If the contestant does it, he or she will take home the $10 million.
“We really do want someone to win the $10 million, but we didn’t just want to give it away,” says Lino Garcia, general manager of ESPN Deportes — which includes Spanish-language versions of the network’s TV and radio stations both born in January 2004 as well as a magazine that debuted in July. “But whoever is chosen will have about five or six weeks to prepare, so he or she can hire a personal trainer or a coach to work with.”
If only one of the kicks is successful, the contestant will receive $25,000. If neither kick is successful, the contestant will get $10,000.
