How Telemundo’s Bringing the World to the 2026 World Cup

Making television history takes preparation. With the World Cup returning to North America for the first time in more than 30 years, the opportunity to rally a new generation of fans is a dream assignment for any live broadcaster. And no network is rising to the moment like Telemundo.

The level of live coverage will be unprecedented. With the largest Spanish-language coverage in the history of the World Cup, all 104 matches will stream live on Peacock, with 92 matches airing on Telemundo and 12 on Universo. There will be live crews covering every event in all 16 host cities, plus studio teams in Mexico City, Miami, and New York offering pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage. Comcast NBCUniversal’s world-class broadcast experience and immersive production will put fans practically on the pitch and help drive the most exciting event of the summer.

Duro explains the appeal. “We’re fans first. That passion comes through in our coverage. It’s why even general market viewers are choosing to watch with us.”

Delivering the full scale of the World Cup to US audiences in Spanish is a monumental effort – and Telemundo, backed by the technology and resources of Comcast NBCUniversal, is ready to meet the moment. World Cup 2026 is set to be the most-watched, most talked-about live event of the summer.

This summer, Telemundo is also launching a FAST channel (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) that will offer 50+ hours of original content each week to keep the conversation going between matches. Mónica Gil, Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, says that the FAST channel “will be an extension of the matches, where fans can talk soccer all day long.”

“There has never been this much soccer on television,” Gil says.

There’s every indication that 2026 will mark serious growth in the sport overall. The US last hosted the World Cup in 1994, a year that saw an estimated 33% rise in domestic interest in soccer. Gil and Duro predict another sizable bump in 2026. Broadcasters will be catering to 85 million US fans, a majority of whom are under 45 and multicultural. Soccer is already the fastest-growing team sport in the country, and even more so with Latinos who are three times as likely to be soccer fans.  

There’s nothing like watching soccer en Español

As a New York Magazine piece put it during the last World Cup, there’s nothing more American than watching soccer coverage in Spanish. Spanish broadcasters still reign supreme when it comes to covering “the beautiful game.” Silly, serious, strategic, absurd, joyful, hilarious, and deafening, Spanish commentary can be so over-the-top that it’s almost as exciting as the matches themselves, and it’s become globally synonymous with the game. Even if you don’t understand the language, the sheer excitement translates across cultures, and there’s nothing else on the planet quite like Telemundo Deportes soccer commentator Andrés Cantor’s world-famous and unmistakable goal call.

Celebrating his 25th anniversary with Telemundo this year, the legendary Argentine sportscaster is as responsible as anyone for introducing English-speaking soccer fans to the world of Spanish play-by-play in 1994. His iconic ¡Gooooooooooool! helped make Spanish coverage a household phenom.

Telemundo and Peacock hold the exclusive Spanish language rights to el Mundial, and if history is any guide, their coverage of the Cup will bring in more than its share of non-Spanish speaking viewers. During the 2022 World Cup, 30% of the audience on Telemundo and Peacock did not speak the language.

Hard numbers show that American viewers prefer the energy and vibe of Spanish play-by-play – whether they understand the language or not. Data shows that viewers rate matches 15% more favorably when watched in Spanish, regardless of their primary language. For those that do understand the language, the preference is clear. BPI found that 55% of bilingual viewers prefer Spanish-language over English-language coverage. “Some things are just better in Spanish,” Gil says. “Soccer is one of them.”

“These are audiences that want to feel the experience of the World Cup,” she says. “English may capture your attention, but Spanish captures emotion – and soccer is all about the emotion.”

The Hispanic market’s biggest stage

For brands looking to connect with Hispanic viewers, there is no greater stage than the World Cup. “There will be 27 million Hispanics tuning in from the US alone,” Gil says – but the big number doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s also about reaching a deeply invested audience.

“Spanish-speaking fans show 70% loyalty to brands that invest in the World Cup and their teams,” Gil notes. “That’s a 34% lift over the general market.” It’s a dramatic difference for World Cup sponsors. In contrast with general-market audiences, Hispanic soccer fans actively seek out brands that support their teams and championships. World Cup-supporting brands are viewed as fans in their own right, and a key part of the excitement. That’s a powerful degree of loyalty and goodwill built into the sport itself.

Gil shares a data point that drives home the intensity of Hispanic fandom. “We know how much Latinos love this sport and we did a survey,” she says. “My country winning the World Cup ranked only second to My child being born for the first time.”

Duro explains the dynamic. “It’s a party,” he says. “Families gather, friends gather. The bigger the game, the bigger the screen – and the more people watching your ad.”

Telemundo is working closely with brands to build on those intense fan loyalties, integrating messaging seamlessly into its editorial content. “We’re not just selling spots,” Duro said. “We’re creating partnerships that enhance the viewer experience.”

Telemundo is gearing up to break its own records in 2026. During the championship game of the 2022 men’s World Cup, Telemundo’s viewership hit 9 million, up 65% from 2018’s final match. In streaming terms, the Argentina-France final was the most-streamed World Cup match in US media history, with nearly 3 million average viewers per minute. Those impressive numbers are just the starting point for next year’s matches.

With the power of live content drawing intensely loyal audiences, Telemundo’s unprecedented 100% Spanish-language coverage – powered by Comcast NBCUniversal’s technology, storytelling and scale – is poised to redefine how soccer is experienced in the US, engaging both core Latino viewers and a growing base of English-speaking fans.

“There will be a ‘before the World Cup’ and an ‘after the World Cup,’” Gil says, “and Telemundo will be part of making that history.”

To learn more about the World Cup and stay up to date with news visit the NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises newsroom. 

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises leads the media industry in the production and distribution of Spanish-language content for U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. The company serves U.S. Hispanics through its national broadcast network, the cable network Universo, and digital platforms including the Telemundo app, a suite of FAST channels, and streaming services, such as Peacock, among others. The Telemundo Network offers Spanish-language entertainment, news, and sports content reaching 95% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 owned stations and 91 affiliate stations. Telemundo also owns an independent station serving Puerto Rico. Anchored on Telemundo Studios, the network is the #1 producer of scripted Spanish-language content in the U.S., and the only network to produce original content specifically for US Hispanic audiences. Offering over 600 hours of reality TV shows a year, and top-rated live specials such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Miss Universe, Telemundo is considered the undisputed Home of Live TV in Hispanic media. The network is also the exclusive Spanish-language home of the world’s two most popular sporting events, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.