• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, October 2, 2013

ESPN Deportes Radio has signed a deal giving it Spanish-language broadcast radio rights for NFL football games in the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 seasons, the sports network announced this week.

The deal includes Spanish-language coverage of Monday night National Football Conference playoff games, the 2014 Super Bowl, and the 2014-2015 American Football Playoffs. The NFL-ESPN Deportes deal took effect in early September. The broadcast deal allows ESPN Deportes Radio to capitalize on growing interest in American football among the country’s burgeoning Hispanic population.

In 2012, a poll by ESPN Sports found that 25 million U.S. Hispanics identified themselves as NFL fans -- a remarkable proportion, as it’s just about half the U.S. Hispanic population, estimated at 50.8 million. According to Nielsen’s NFL Season Reach Study, the 2012 NFL season had the largest U.S. Hispanic audience ever.

The ESPN Deportes Radio agreement builds on ESPN’s existing contract with the NFL, signed in 2011, giving it broadcast rights for "Monday Night Football" through 2021 in a deal valued at around $15 billion. Last month, ESPN Deportes launched ESPN Sync, a Spanish-language Web app that complements ESPN coverage of live sporting events with live streams providing analysis and coverage, real-time scores and stats, video, polling, and trivia, among other types of content.

On the marketing side, ESPN Sync allows up to four advertisers to deliver messages during sporting events, including display, video, and product and logo placements. The move comes as ESPN faces new competition for both Hispanic and mainstream sports audiences.

In June, Fox Deportes launched a new production arm, Fox Deportes Studios, to create original programming targeting Hispanic sports fans. It includes content created around big sporting events, fan experiences at stadiums and arenas and the human interest stories embedded in spectator sports. The broadcaster is also expanding its coverage of NASCAR, UFC and Golden Boy Boxing .