Telemundo kicks off “EL CAMPEÓN EN TI 2022”

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is rolling out a multi-city national campaign, “El Campeón En Ti” (“The Champion In You”), to build on its longstanding commitment to inspire Hispanic youth to discover — through soccer — the champions within themselves. The campaign will bring an inspiring and engaging series of jamboree events to cities across the country in the months leading up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, serving as a second edition of Telemundo’s community-driven campaign inaugurated during the FIFA World Cup Russia in 2018.

The community events will take place in cities nationwide, bringing fun to families in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and other cities with large Hispanic communities. The initiative involves a series of partners including the U.S. Soccer Foundation, independent Hispanic Soccer Leagues, community leaders, local businesses, and elected officials.

“We believe that our community is at the heart of the World Cup – and we want to take these festivities across the country for Latinos to enjoy this global event,” said Christina Kolbjornsen, SVP Corporate & External Affairs, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “We’re again joining forces with our partners at the U.S. Soccer Foundation and the independent Hispanic Soccer leagues, allowing us to expand our efforts to create safe and accessible environments for young Latinos to grow and play. Soccer brings families together and empowers kids to show what can be possible. We’re looking forward to joining our partners in celebrating the inner champion in every Hispanic youth.”

Telemundo’s “El Campeón En Ti,” focuses on building awareness of the power of sports and the need for more opportunities for underserved Hispanic youth to play soccer in the neighborhoods close to where they live and go to school. The community-centric campaign further highlights the importance of soccer as a collective cultural cornerstone and a unifying civic influence in Hispanic populated areas.

The campaign underscores the need to expand access to safe recreational facilities and level an unequal playing field for Hispanic youth. “El Campeón En Ti” encourages communities to embrace their inner champion by honoring their energy, passion, and resilience to overcome societal adversities and life challenges. The campaign hopes to inspire Hispanic kids to participate in soccer and exercise regularly, eat healthy, play outdoors, and participate in community events.

“We’re excited to team up with our partners at Telemundo to unite young people and families through our game,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “Using soccer as a vehicle to improve lives is core to our mission and helps strengthen communities. These soccer celebrations and our continued partnership is symbolic of Telemundo’s commitment to driving positive change in Hispanic communities.”

Telemundo’s participation in festivals, conferences, and jamborees across the country extends the opportunity to families and kids to play, watch, and celebrate soccer in the months leading to the World Cup. In addition, through Soccer clinics and Telemundo’s mobile interactive fan experience, guests can experience the fun of playing and enjoy the soccer experience.

“El Campeón En Ti” will leverage the Telemundo network, partner with local Telemundo stations, Telemundo talent, and viewers in all markets to provide on-site activations and experiences at events such as “Feria del Barrio” on September 11 in Philadelphia, Junta Hispana on Sept 25 in New York City, and Fiestas Patrias on Sept 16-18 and Día de los Muertos on November 1 in San Antonio.

The campaign seeks to champion kids’ physical, social, and emotional health and educational performance. Research shows that programs focused on these areas promote better adolescent health, behavior, and teamwork. According to Active Living Research, Hispanic and African American neighborhoods are almost twice as likely (70%) as white neighborhoods (38%) to lack recreational facilities.

In response to this need, Telemundo will launch a grassroots campaign to reinforce the importance of accessibility nationwide, partnering with independent community soccer leagues in designated communities with a high density of Latino youth and Hispanic-led teams. The selected clubs will play matches on weekends starting at the end of August and continuing throughout the fall in select cities of Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas.