CTAM SUMMIT, MONDAY MORNING, JULY 25, 2005
�����������������������������
����������������������
BY STEVE DONOHUE
PHILADELPHIA — Next-generation interac-
tive program guides and media centers
are among some of the demos worth
checking out at the “Digital Knockouts”
area at this week’s CTAM Summit.
New technology on display includes
the i-Guide demo at the Comcast
Media Center tabletop exhibit; Scien-
tific-Atlanta’s new multi-room DVR and
media center; and the latest version of
PDP Interactive’s (formerly Pioneer New
WHAT’S HOT HERE
$10M Contest from ESPN Deportes
BY MIKE REYNOLDS
ESPN Deportes is looking to kick
up promotional payouts a notch
or 10 — or 10 million.
While National
Football
League and Major League Base-
ball promos have delivered $1 million to
winners and Home & Garden Television
annually awards a “Dream House” of the
same value, ESPN Deportes is raising the
bar to $10 million with its “Fútball a Foot-
ball” contest, which kicks off Monday.
“This is by far the largest promotion prize
I can remember on the affiliate side in my
23 years in cable,” said Robyn Remick, VP of
affiliate marketing at Disney and ESPN Me-
dia Networks.
The multifaceted, affiliate-tied promo-
tion — which reflects the network’s pro-
gramming of Latino-targeted sports of-
ferings and the best of Anglo athletics,
including MLB and NFL action — will
afford a randomly selected sweepstakes
entrant the opportunity to land
a soccer ball in an unguarded
goal from 50 yards out, then turn
around and split the uprights
from 40 yards.
The chance will come at Texas
Stadium during ESPN’s coverage
of the Jan. 2 NFL game between
the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams.
If successful, the kicker will pocket a cool
$10 million.
The 19-month-old ESPN Deportes, which
counts just under 1 million subscribers, also
wants to reap dividends from the campaign
by building buzz and driving acquisition in
the Spanish-language sports arena, where it
trails Fox Sports en Español and soccer-cen-
tric Gól TV in the race to