Univision, Tecate Team to Present Hispanic Athlete Awards

Univision and Tecate are collaborating on a Hispanic Sports Awards Show that will be highlighted as an annual event.

The “Tecate Premios Deportes” Sports Awards will present awards to standout Hispanic athletes in 10 categories, including the top 11 soccer players from the Mexican pro leagues and North American Soccer Player of the Year, best Hispanic boxer, best baseball player and All-Star Baseball Team, best male and female athletes and Tecate Athlete of the Year Award.

“No one is more passionate about their sports heroes than Hispanic sports fans,” said David Downs, president or Univision sports, in a statement.

The broad demographic the awards cover makes it a smart play, as an international telecast that will tap a prime aspect of Hispanic cultural passion and establish an annual franchise to trumpet Hispanic athletes’ achievements.

To be eligible for the awards, which will be televised live on all Univision stations on June 20, athletes must have competed in a televised sport in the U.S. during 2007.

Pro athletes, ex-athletes and sports writers make up the nominating panel, including Oscar de la Hoya, former standout soccer goalie for the Mexican national squad, Jorge Campos, National Football League Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and ex-NFL star Tony Casillas.

The awards venue will be the Pasadena Auditorium, and 1,400 seats will be made available to the public, with other ticket sales details yet to come.