ESPN Deportes to broadcast 500 hours of World Cup coverage

ESPN Deportes, the 24-hour Spanish-language sports network, will prominently feature World Cup coverage on SportsCenter, Fútbol Picante, Jorge Ramos y su Banda, Raza Deportiva, Los Capitanes, Cronómetro, and more, providing expansive news and analysis throughout the competition. Much of the 2018 World Cup content on these shows will originate from the ESPN Deportes set in Moscow, overlooking the Kremlin.

The nearly 500 live hours of World Cup-related news and information programming from June 14–July 15 will air across ESPN’s Spanish-language network, digital and radio platforms.

Highlights include:

• 34 former international players and soccer journalists lead ESPN Deportes’ coverage,

• Daily news and information programming originating from Russia, including a studio overlooking the Kremlin in Moscow,

• Supporting studio coverage will originate from Bristol, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Miami

• 18 news gathering units will be assigned to specific teams throughout the tournament, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, Panamá, Perú, Spain and Uruguay, and

• ESPN Deportes Radio to broadcast World Cup-related news and information programming around-the-clock.

• SportsCenter on ESPN Deportes will feature a two-hour edition (M-F, 12-2 p.m. ET), and two evening shows (11 p.m. and 1 a.m. ET) except on days with México matches.

• Fútbol Picante, the Mexican soccer-themed news and analysis debate show, will expand to two hours nightly on primetime beginning at 9 p.m. with additional live shows before and after México matches.

• Raza Deportiva, the live morning radio/TV simulcast show, will expand from five to seven days a week (10 a.m.– noon ET)
Jorge Ramos y Su Banda will expand from five to seven days a week (4 – 7 p.m. ET).

• José Ramón Fernández, David Faitelson and other commentators will discuss the latest of the tournament on Cronómetro, weekdays at 7 p.m. ET.

• Nación ESPN (weekdays at 8 p.m. ET) will air with special segments from Russia and Los Angeles.

ESPN Deportes’ 34 on-air personalities providing analysis from Russia will be led by 1978 World Cup champion Mario “El Matador” Kempes and his 1974 World Cup teammate Quique Wolff (Argentina); former Mexican National Team stars Hugo Sánchez, Jared Borgetti, Tomás Boy, José Antonio “Tato” Noriega, Rafa Puente and former player and coach Mario Carrillo; and Jorge Bermudez, former Colombian National Team player and a current club manager in the country.

Prominent soccer journalists who have covered numerous World Cup tournaments will be featured: José Ramón Fernández, Jorge Ramos, David Faitelson, Fernando Palomo,  Andrés Agulla, Ciro Procuna, Hernán Pereyra, Hector Huerta, Kary Correa, Adalberto Franco, , Martin Ainstein, Heriberto Murrieta, Roberto Gómez Junco, Ángel García Toraño, Miroslava Montemayor, Alex de la Rosa, Vanessa Huppenkothen, Mauricio Pedroza, Rafa Ramos, Álvaro Morales, Jorge Pietrasanta, Sergio Dipp and more.

Reporters assigned to specific National Teams include John Sutcliffe (Mexico), Manu Martín (Spain), Andrés Agulla (Costa Rica) and Carolina Padrón (Panamá).