For the first time, Carolina Panthers broadcasts will be available in Spanish this season.

WNOW AM (“Radio Lider con Sabor Tropical” 1030) will carry four preseason and 16 regular season games, the Panthers announced Thursday. With the broadcasts, the Panthers become the 12th NFL franchise with Spanish-language coverage.

WNOW was the first Spanish station in the Carolinas, going on the air 14 years ago. Now four Spanish stations serve the region and all have shown growth with the upswing in Latin American population.

While soccer is the leading sport of Latin America, professional football seems to be gaining fans among immigrants.

WNOW approached the Panthers will the idea for a partnership, in part because of the interest Panthers games were getting on the station's Monday morning sports call-in show, hosted by Jaime Moreno.

“They were getting a lot of calls about football,” said Panthers spokesman Charlie Dayton. “We have national research that shows a strong interest in the Spanish community nationwide.”

Moreno, who used to broadcast soccer matches in Mexico, will do play-by-play for the broadcasts. “I don't think we'll have any trouble transferring to football,” he said.

Doing color will be his nephew Luis Moreno. Jorge Medina Jr. and Mario Villanueva will be field analysts.