República Deportiva
| República Deportiva | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sports |
| Presented by |
Fernando Fiore (1999–2014) Julian Gil (2015–present) |
| Starring |
Rosana Franco (1999–2012) Jorge Gomez (1999–2004) Felix Fernandez (2004–) Lindsay Casinelli (2014–) Adriana Monsalve (2014–) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | Spanish |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Luis Blanco |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 2 hours (including commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Univision Deportes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Univision |
| Original release | 1999 – present |
República Deportiva ("Sports Republic") is a weekly two-hour sports show on Spanish language United States television network Univision.
Schedule and hosts
The show airs on Sundays and was initially hosted by Fernando Fiore, Jorge Gomez, and Rosana Franco. Fiore also served as the principal anchor for Univision's 1998 FIFA World Cup, 2002, 2006, and 2010 FIFA World Cup coverage. Gomez left the show in 2004 and was replaced by Felix Fernandez, an ex-soccer goalie in the Primera División de México, Mexico's First Division, the professional Mexican league. Franco was dismissed from the show in 2012, and Fiore was dismissed in 2014. Julian Gil officially replaced Fiore as the show's main host in 2015.[1]
Content
Because of its American audience, the program focuses much attention on Major League Baseball in the United States and sometimes NBA basketball. However, it gives constant attention to Primera División de México and the MLS, and some attention to association football leagues in other countries, mostly in Latin America. It also shows highlights of Italian, Spanish, English, and sometimes German football. There is also some coverage of other sports, such as boxing and Formula One motor racing.
Segments, features, and highlights
There are many segments in the show. A very popular one is "Pregúntale a Felix" ("Ask Felix"), where fans send in questions about soccer and he answers them. They have lots of contests such as "Miss República" and "El sabio de la República" ("The sage of the Republic"). They also invite many famous athletes to the bar to talk. República Deportiva has highlighted many sports figures, among them the boxer Oscar de La Hoya and World Series manager Ozzie Guillén of the Chicago White Sox.
Another feature involves scantily-clad young Colombian women called Senadoras (Senators; Fiore is the President of the Republic), who provide "artistic" background, mainly, but also speak in some segments. Currently, the three Senadoras are Alba Galindo, Carolina Macallister and Natalia Saenz.