U.S. HISPANIC
Telemundo’s The Playmakers Returns to Los Angeles Ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend
18 de febrero de 2026
The Playmakers LA event was highlighted by Pro Football Hall of Fame
On the heels of a successful inaugural launch event in December, Telemundo hosted the second edition of The Playmakers Thursday evening at the Universal Studios Lot, bringing together influential voices across sports, media, culture, and fashion for an evening of dynamic conversations ahead of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. The invitation-only gathering marked the second installment of Telemundo’s national thought-leadership series created to spotlight the leaders, ideas, and cultural forces shaping the next era of sports.
The Playmakers LA event was highlighted by Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end and media personality Tony Gonzalez who sat down for an intimate fireside chat with Telemundo sports journalist and El Pelotazo co-host, Diego Arrioja, offering first-person insight into navigating the transition from professional athlete to media leader and entrepreneur. Gonzalez also reflected on the impact and power of storytelling and representation in sports, and the pivotal role Los Angeles and its vibrant Latino fandom play in redefining sports storytelling on a global stage.
Fresh off a record-breaking coverage of the Super Bowl LX, The Playmakers LA kicked off with Monica Gil, Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, who opened the program by welcoming attendees to an evening with “Playmakers, who are moving the industry, redefining how we watch, how we cheer, how we invest, and how we as Latinos are at the center of this conversation.”
Gil was followed by a lively panel discussion on “Creating Fandom and Culture through Music, Fashion and Sports,” featuring Rich Orosco, Chief Brand Officer of LAFC, Stephanie Mejia, NBA agent with WME Basketball, and Carlos Eric Lopez, photographer and founder of Cura Lita. The conversation explored how cross-industry collaboration is reshaping fan engagement and building cultural relevance beyond the game.
The Playmakers presented by Telemundo is a national platform designed to celebrate and spotlight the leaders and ideas shaping the next era of sport through a series of invitation-only curated conversations across America. As the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup 26™, NFL’s Sunday Night Football, the NBA, the Olympic Games, Premier League and other major sporting events, Telemundo sets the stage to celebrate Latino contributions to sports while bringing together diverse personalities from across leagues and industries, including athletes and owners, executives and investors, creators and community builders.
