Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld (Latin American Spanish: [ˈmaɾjo ˈkɾojtsβeɾɣeɾ]; born 28 December 1940), better known by his stage name as Don Francisco (pronounced [doɱ fɾanˈsisko]), is a Chilean television host, and a popular personality on the Univision network reaching Spanish-speaking viewers in the United States.
In 1986, the show began to be produced by SIN in Miami, Florida, with the same formula used in Chile, with the slightly different name of Sábado Gigante to KMEX-DT channel 34 Los Angeles.
For the next six years, Kreutzberger developed a three-hour-long variety show, which included contests, comedy, interviews and a traveling camera section.
The traveling camera, or Cámara Viajera (originally La Película Extranjera, The Foreign Movie), has taken "Don Francisco" to over 185 countries worldwide, many of them more than once.
Through a talent partnership with Memo Flores of Jugaremos en Familia, Sábado Gigante has helped launch the careers of many famous entertainers, such as Lili Estefan, Sissi Fleitas, and numerous others.
Kreutzberger promoted and hosted the Teletón, a TV charity show for disabled Chilean children between 1978 and 2021; there have been 22 telethons over 30 years.
Muscular Dystrophy Association, in which he also appears in a pre-recorded piece on its annual telethon, to appeal to Hispanics to donate.
[10] On 11 April 2018, the Jewish Community of Chile recognized Mario Kreutzberger as "Javer Olam" (friend of the world)[11] Don Francisco has been in commercials for La Curaçao Department Stores.