Super Bowl XLII takes center stage at Fox Sports en Español.

Fox Sports en Español announced it has partnered with Fox Broadcasting Company and the National Football League (NFL) to provide Latino football fans enhanced coverage of Super Bowl XLII. Through a combination of original Spanish-language programs and up-to-the-minute news and highlights via foxsportsla.msn.com direct from Glendale (Arizona), the network will provide Spanish-speaking fans all they need to know before tuning into FOX’s live game telecast on February 3, which will include Spanish-language play-by-play commentary on SAP by veteran announcers John Laguna and Pepe Mantilla.

“Historic by all accounts, Super Bowl XLII is already shaping up to be the most anticipated American sporting event of the year and there exists a tremendous opportunity to further engage Spanish-speaking fans for whom football is as much a part of the American way of life as is their love of soccer or baseball an expression of national pride,” said David Sternberg, executive vice president and general manager of Fox Sports en Español. “We’re tremendously excited to partner with the NFL to provide our viewers with in-depth coverage of the Super Bowl from a Latin American perspective and to collaborate with our colleagues at FBC to expand the reach of their live game telecast on February 3.”

SUPER BOWL XLII ON FOX SPORTS EN ESPAÑOL

In December 2007, Fox Sports en Español opened a production facility in Mexico, driven in part by its commitment to providing fresh programming to the U.S. Hispanic community which is roughly 65 percent of Mexican origin. Central to that decision, was expanding coverage of the NFL – broadcast rights that Fox Sports International has owned in Mexico for the past 10 years. The Super Bowl programs debuting on the network later this week in the U.S. are among the first fruits of that strategy and would have not been possible without the new production capability south of the border.

“The NFL is thrilled that FOX Sports en Español will be on-site covering all of the excitement leading up to the Super Bowl,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL director or marketing. “We are especially excited that our Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will be able to enjoy Super Bowl XLII via Spanish-language SAP on FOX. This is a great example of the increasing ways in which our Hispanic fans can experience the NFL.”

Offering a glimpse into how the Fox brand is leveraging its assets across language and geography to deliver high-quality original programming, following are highlights of what Latino football fans can expect leading up to game day:

— “Camino al Super Bowl XLII” Specials – On each of the three days leading up to game day, Fox Sports en Español will air a half-hour “Road to the Super Bowl” (“Camino al Super Bowl”) special from Phoenix, hosted by Fox Sports Mexico’s expert NFL commentators Fernando Von Rossum Garza, Fernando Von Rossum de la Vega, Ernesto del Valle and Ricardo Bravo. Including features, interviews, analysis and highlights footage from the regular-season and playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl, the three half-hour “Road to the Super Bowl” specials will offer a unique Latin American perspective on the big game and will air as follows:

— Thursday, January 31 – “Camino al Super Bowl” (1) – 9:30 p.m. ET

— Friday, February 1 – “Camino al Super Bowl” (2) – 9:00 p.m. ET

— Saturday, February 2 – “Camino al Super Bowl” (3) – 9:00 p.m. ET

— Two-Hour Live Pre-Game Show – Starting at 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 3 and continuing until kickoff, Fox Sports en Español will air a two-hour live pre-game show aimed at Spanish-dominant football fans. The show, hosted by the Fox Sports Mexico NFL commentary team, will preview lineups and keys to the game, and direct viewers to tune into the live Spanish SAP game telecast on FOX.

— About the Commentators – Fox Sports Mexico’s experienced NFL commentators have covered a combined 62 Super Bowls. Fernando Von Rossum Garza, the most important NFL talent in Spanish-language television with 40 Super Bowls under his belt, will be joined by 10-time Super Bowl play-by-play analyst Fernando Von Rossum de la Vega and longtime NFL analysts Ernesto del Valle (7 Super Bowls) and Ricardo Bravo (5 Super Bowls).

— Additional News Coverage – Fox Sports en Español’s in-depth coverage of Super Bowl XLII will also include dedicated segments on its nightly sports news show, “Diario Fox Sports,” and weekly preview program “La Previa del Fin de Semana.”