NFL Aims To Turn Fútbol Fans Into Football Fans

By Michael Lopez

Mark Sanchez’ insane passes, Tony Gonzalez’ record-breaking catches…you may not realize it, but the Latino presence on the football field has been getting stronger and stronger in recent years. And even if the general public hasn’t necessarily caught on, NFL marketers are taking notice and looking to capitalize on the new growing trend.

Image : NFL

As if the National Football League even needed more viewers. Currently in the middle of its most watched season ever, Mediaweek has reported that more than 150 million people have tuned in for at least part of an NFL game this year (and we’re not even at Super Bowl time yet). But that’s not stopping football marketers from trying to add more, by tapping into the Latino segment.

Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s VP of fan strategy and marketing, has already partnered on initiatives with Latin broadcasters like Univision. And he says the organization is exploring even more options via web and Spanish radio.

“We really try to deliver the game in ways our growing Hispanic fans and connect directly. It’s saying, ‘We’re going to take the NFL…and deliver it in ways that they want to connect with it.’”

And so far, their research into the Latin market has shown some interesting statistics. Latino viewership of the NFL is up by 12 percent from what it was at last year. O’Reilly has also reported that the number of Hispanic football fans has now reached over 28.5 million!

It’s clear with football being so popular in the U.S., getting Latinos here to watch would be a no-brainer. But how about south of the border? Anthony Eros, who works as a Hispanic marketing consultant for the San Diego Chargers, has seen teams spread the love all the way to South America.

“[The NFL] has been active in México and Central and South America. It has exposed them to the sport, so that if you’re coming as an immigrant, you’re not completely foreign to the sport.”

So could fútbol lovers throughout South America learn to appreciate the art of the punt? It’s definitely possible, but we don’t think it’ll happen overnight. Perhaps if you throw in a few more Latin heroes like Sanchez and Gonzalez (and a couple of sexy broadcasters like Ines Sainz) it could help speed up the process.

Source: [Fox News Latino]

Do you think football could catch on in Latin America? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Cultura, Football, Mark Sanchez, NFL, Sports, Tony Gonzalez