Meet Nico Cantor, Star of 'The Golazo Show'

When the National Football League first introduced a new project known as ‘NFL Redzone’ over 12 years ago there were concerns about the disruption of the traditional viewing experience.

American football games could now be viewed in a very different way, especially with the rise of social media and fantasy sports influencing the ways in which consumers absorb sports.

Fast forward to 2021 and Redzone is now a hot commodity in the American football space and CBS Sports has taken a page out of the NFL’s book with its launch of a similar concept in the European football world.

Meet ‘The Golazo Show’ and its first host, Nico Cantor.

He’s the son of legendary broadcaster Andres Cantor, who has covered World Cups, Olympic Games and a number of other major football events throughout his famed career with Telemundo Deportes, NBC Sports and other outlets. 

Nico is making a name for himself though in a unique space though, one that has the chance to spark a new interest in proper football in the United States with a product that allows fans to see the highlights of all the top matches across Europe’s UEFA Champions League and Europa League competitions.

“When I took the job I didn’t really know what to expect,” Cantor told ONE37pm. “It was very different than anything I had previously done, especially in another country.

“It was interesting because not only was it my first time properly working in English language television, but I was working in England. I think each week now I’m learning something different and that’s helping the show evolve in its own way.”

Cantor, who got his start in broadcasting with former NASL side Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, has had to train himself to prepare in a different manner than he has in the past for previous opportunities.

Instead of focusing on a single team or league, his attention is now drawn every which way with the Champions League and Europa League encompassing the entire European continent.

“I’m prepping all the time,” Cantor said. “Everything I watch now technically counts as prep work for me. Knowing the context is huge.

“I think understanding the context of where every team is at is important so when it’s 9 o’clock on a Saturday and my girlfriend wants to go to brunch I’m the one that has to be like ‘I have to watch Chelsea-Aston Villa.’

“It’s just about being informed with everything that’s going on.”

The change in routine has been a welcomed challenge by Cantor during the early stages of ‘The Golazo Show,’ but he’s embracing all aspects of the job.

With the presence of proper football growing in the United States and CBS’ willingness to take a major step towards introducing the game to a greater audience stateside, the program has a massive opportunity to capture a new age of fans in a similar way that NFL Redzone has done.

As Cantor points out, fans often don’t have the time or energy to watch every minute of every match, and that’s where ‘The Golazo Show’ can thrive.

“I really believe this is a game changer and I think there’s a really interesting product that we have in our hands right now,” Cantor said. “I see that every day, on social at least, more people find out what ‘The Golazo Show’ is and I do believe that people really like it.

“Sometimes I’m really baffled because people will write to me on Twitter asking when the next ‘Golazo Show’ is coming on and there’s genuine interest in what we’re doing. It feels like people are actually craving it and that’s a huge credit to everyone at CBS that’s helped put this together.

“They’ve made it dynamic enough with the right materials and right guests. There’s this great balance in having a broadcast where you can sit back and have fun and watch ‘The Golazo Show.’”

Viewers can tune in to ‘The Golazo Show’ every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the Champions League and Europa League campaigns on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+. The program returns next week when the resumption of both competitions starts on Sept. 28.