NFL, MLB, MLS, NWSL Unveil Activation For National Hispanic Heritage Month

By Barry Janoff

September 12, 2024: Pro sports leagues are again activating for Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins Sept. 15 and runs thru Oct. 15.

Among them, the NFL, MLB, MLS and NWSL have unveiled multi-platform plans encompassing each league and many, if not all, of their respective clubs.

Hispanic Heritage Week was first proclaimed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. In 1988, the commemorative week was expanded to a month.

Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the commemoration because it is the anniversary of the "Cry of Dolores," which marked the start of the Mexican War of Independence.

The NHL and NHL  Players’ Assn. — whose season begins Oct. 8-9 — said the the league’s 32 clubs held more than 350 cultural celebration and awareness nights this past season, covering more than 30 unique themes.

Celebrations recognized current players, Alumni, and fans of diverse backgrounds including Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage, Black History, Hispanic Heritage, Indigenous and Native American Heritage, Jewish Heritage, and Ukrainian Heritage.

The NBA season begins Oct. 22-23, after Hispanic Heritage Month.

From March 1-15, 2024, all 30 NBA teams wore special Fanatics-branded Noches Éne•Bé•A warmup shirts for its 18th annual Noches Éne•Bé•A Latin Nights program, celebrating NBA fans and players in Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities Several teams also hosted activities to honor local Hispanic communities, including in-arena celebrations and original content creation.

Earlier this month, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation honored Carmelo Anthony, former NBA All-Star, entrepreneur and philanthropist, with the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Award for Sports during the 37th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Opera House.

In the WNBA, with the season ending Sept. 19, many teams celebrated throughout the season: The Dallas Wings annual Celebración Latina game was held Sept. 1, the Phoenix Mercury held Dia Latina (Latina Day) on June 2.

On Sept 15, the Chicago Sky will host Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Night, in conjunction with Fan Appreciation Night; and the New York Liberty have that day scheduled for Noche Latina to “celebrate Hispanic and Latin heritage with passion and flair. “

The Hispanic Heritage Award, supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions, were established by the White House in 1988 to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America

The NFL unveiled support for Latino Heritage Month with the launch of its season-long campaign, “Por La Cultura” ("For the Culture"). The initiative "showcases Latino players, coaches, and staff, while celebrating Latino excellence and sharing authentic stories of the community."

A central theme of these spots is “I’m From Here, I’m From There,” emphasizing the "shared truth of Latino NFL players as bicultural individuals and proud global ambassadors for the sport."

Two 30-second spots will run throughout the 2024 season, with a 60-second hero spot set to showcase four NFL players expressing pride in both their U.S. and Latino roots.

One spot, “Cross-Border Pride,” connects Latino players to their familial home countries to meet their global fans, aiming to expand awareness of the sport and strengthen ties beyond the U.S.

The campaign features Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco exploring his Puerto Rican roots and Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos returning to his home country of Brazil.

A second spot, to be released later this year, highlights New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave connecting with his Cuban heritage in Miami’s “Little Havana” neighborhood and Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Will Hernandez embracing his culture in Mexico.

As part of NFL Vota, Dave Canales, head coach of the Carolina Panthers and the only Latino head coach in the NFL, stars in a spot inspiring eligible voters in the Latino community to participate in the country’s democratic process.

Under the umbrella of MLB’s established brand campaign launched in May, “El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa” (“Baseball is Something Else”), the league and its clubs will premiere content and features around player stories, social-first pieces with creators, celebrities, fans and players.

It also leverages the league’s youth participation initiative, Play Ball, for a special event in New York showcasing vitilla, a version of stickball played prevalently in the Dominican Republic.

MLB content to debut during Hispanic Heritage Month includes a short documentary presented by Corona that tells the story of the Zorilla Baseball League, New York's oldest amateur baseball league, and how it fosters community across different Latin American nationalities.

Activation encompasses Roberto Clemente Day, which will be celebrated league-wide Sept. 15.

Last week, MLB unveiled the 2024 nominees for the Roberto Clemente Award — regarded as one of the most prestigious in all of sports — and its plans for Roberto Clemente Day Sept. 15, both of which are presented by Capital One.

The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One is the annual recognition of a Major League player who “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work, created in 1971 as the “Commissioner’s Award,” was renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 as tribute to Clemente following his passing on Dec. 31, 1972 during a humanitarian mission to deliver relief supplies for earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

MLB established Roberto Clemente Day in 2002 as an “additional honor to his legacy, further encouraging philanthropic leadership across the league.” Clemente was induced into the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973 via a special election.

MLB, Las Mayores and its dedicated country accounts will highlight Latino players on their rise to the Majors, connecting them with legends from their respective countries they admired and discussing the impact their stories have in their communities as well as highlight different Latino legends each day across their social platforms.

MLB players will post custom videos and graphics throughout the month celebrating their heritage and MLB.com will feature profile on Roberto Clemente Award nominees and Latino player spotlights throughout the duration of the celebration.

Photo: MLS Houston DynamoMLB Network will produce extensive content for on-air and MLB’s digital platforms celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, beginning with a special tease highlighting today’s great Latin American players played to the song, “Bendecido” by Dale Pututi & Randy Malcolm.

A special vignette presented by Blue Triton will be unveiled every day, honoring a significant moment or Latin American figure in MLB history, such as Albert Pujols’ 700th career home run and Fernando Valenzuela’s three postseason victories in 1981.

Mas Plakatas, a new three-part weekly series presented by Delta highlighting the best home runs from Latin American Players, will be featured on Sept. 15, Sept. 23 and Sept. 30.

This year’s MLB Hispanic Heritage Month efforts are complimentary to the league’s year-round focus on celebrating and promoting Latine culture throughout the game.

MLS and NWSL teams will stage and host activation as part of their Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.

That includes special menu items, displays of Hispanic artwork, music, custom-painted soccer balls, giveaways, and  in-stadium and social media videos featuring Hispanic players and heritage.

In addition, adidas has created pre-match jerseys. A representation of Hispanic culture’s rich history and vibrant style, the jersey’s graphic is inspired by the wing of a condor — symbolizing power, strength and wisdom.

MLB Names Roberto Clemente Award 2024 Honorees, Unveils Clemente Day Activation

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