EDITOR’S NOTE: Rodolfo Martinez, (SVP, International and ESPN Deportes Production), is a 34-year production veteran, joined ESPN in 1997 as an associate producer. In 2009, Martinez was named ESPN’s vice president, production and operations, responsible for live events, studio shows, news and information for ESPN Deportes and all of ESPN’s networks outside of the U.S.
Today caps ESPN’s month-long celebration of 25 years of SportsCenter in Latin America. To mark the milestone, three live editions are airing from Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida with the primary focus of the coverage centered around the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw in Washington, D.C. (see photo gallery below). This special programming is a testament to fans in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico just how far ESPN’s flagship program has come in the region.
That journey began 25 years ago in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the first edition of SportsCenter for Latin America was produced from a small home-turned-studio. That moment, on November 15, 2000, marked the beginning of a journey built on teamwork, passion and a deep commitment to telling the region’s sports stories with precision and heart.
(Joma Garcia Gisbert/ESPN Images)
What started as a pan-regional broadcast quickly evolved into a trusted daily ritual serving millions of fans throughout the region. Over the years, the Latin American version of the ESPN flagship news and information brand has been expanded and launched local editions in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Central America: tailoring the content to each country while staying true to the essence of SportsCenter.
Rodolfo Martinez discussed 25 years of SportsCenter in Latin America with Front Row.
On the impact of SportsCenter in the Latin America region:
Our SportsCenter anchors have become household names, our highlights cultural touchpoints, and our studios lively creative hubs – filled with energy, laughter, and sometimes with surprise cameos like a live goat or even a Formula 1 car. SportsCenter has always been more than a show; it’s a daily destination and mirror of the region’s passion for sports.
On SportsCenter Latin America’s best moments:
My perspective of our best moments is rooted on how we showed up for sports fans in the region during seminal moments in sports: Argentina’s golden generation in basketball, Del Potro’s triumph at the US Open, our unforgettable coverage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, or the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the Guinness World Record-setting “active” broadcast in Brazil, where anchors delivered a full show while running to draw attention to sedentary lifestyle, and our full-circle coverage of [soccer star] Lionel Messi’s footballing career beginning in his earlier years.
On the lighter side, who could forget the llama chase in Lima? Our non-top 10 moments are part of our DNA, too.
On keys to SportsCenter’s success in the region:
One word, teamwork. From production desks in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and São Paulo to our field reporters and digital teams, this is a collective effort. Our anchors don’t just read headlines; they narrate sports with the skill of play-by-play pros across disciplines. It’s a dynamic, live environment where every second counts. When a live SportsCenter hits the air, it’s because hundreds of people made sure it would be on time, and on point.
On the future of SportsCenter in LATAM:
Personalization is the present in the United States. It is the future for fans in Latin America. We have a great template in the U.S., and we are focused on delivering that same experience in the futureto sports fans across the region – reaching them wherever they are and how they choose to consume content.
Note: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of SportsCenter in Brazil, ESPN Brazil’s Director of Sports Production Joao Batschauer and his team commissioned the Heliopolis Orchestra to create a symphonic adaptation of the show’s iconic theme. Watch the video below.
Pablo Mamone (VP, EP of Global Event & Studio Production), spearheaded the launch of the first SportsCenter in Latin America. In early 2000, while covering the UEFA European Football Championship in the Netherlands, ESPN selected him to lead the network’s first live SportsCenter produced outside the United States.
“A few months later, ESPN executives from the U.S. flew in for the launch,” Mamone recalls. “Twenty-five years on, we now see it was the start of something much bigger than we ever imagined.”
Today, six distinct SportsCenter editions – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Central America – deliver hours of localized content across Latin America each day. The franchise has earned numerous industry honors, most recently the 2025 Martín Fierro Latino Award for best audiovisual production in the region. It is considered the most prestigious honor in Argentine television.
