FIFA World Cup 2022™ Opener Delivers 4.0 Million Viewers On Telemundo And Peacock

November 22, 2022

DOHA, QATAR – Nov. 22, 2022 – In an unprecedented FIFA World Cup contested in the fall -- and the first to open on a Sunday in 40 years -- Telemundo Deportes’ Spanish-language coverage of the host-nation Qatar v. Ecuador on Sunday averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 4.0 million viewers across Telemundo, Peacock and Telemundo Deportes’ digital platforms, up 164% compared to the opening match in 2018. The start of the FIFA World Cup also powered Peacock to the No. 1 spot among free iOS apps on Sunday and Monday. Telemundo is the exclusive Spanish-language media rights holder to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ in the U.S.

The 4.0 million viewers for Ecuador’s 2-0 victory over Qatar on the opening day of the tournament outpaced Telemundo’s coverage of 2018 host-nation Russia’s 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia (1.54 million viewers TAD) in the first game of that tournament, which took place on Thursday, June 14. This year’s World Cup is taking place in the fall to offset Qatar’s extreme summer heat. The match also surpassed the viewership for all but four of the 48 Group Matches in 2018, all of which featured either Mexico or Brazil.

Across Peacock and Telemundo’s digital streaming platforms, the game ranked as most streamed World Cup game ever in Spanish-language media history delivering an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 832,000 viewers, representing 21% of the average audience, a high figure for sports streaming.

Telemundo dominated local markets during the full coverage window (10:30 am – 1:15 pm ET), ranking as the No. 1 network overall in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix. It was also the No. 1 Spanish-language network in Chicago, San Francisco, Orlando, Sacramento, Tampa, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston and Atlanta during the match.

Qatar-Ecuador also is the most-watched Sunday morning sports program on Spanish-language television in three years, since the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final featuring USA vs. Netherlands (July 7, 2019). It also ranks No. 8 among Sunday morning sports programs on Spanish-language television on record (TV only; since 2006).

Viewership figures are based on data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.

Following today’s three matches, coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ on Telemundo and Peacock resumes Tuesday with four matches:

—TELEMUNDO DEPORTES—

About NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises: 

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 the full spectrum of U.S. Hispanics through its national broadcast network, the cable network Universo, and digital platforms including the Telemundo app and streaming services, such as Peacock, among others. The Telemundo Network offers Spanish-language entertainment, news, and sports content reaching 93% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 owned stations and 56 affiliate stations. Telemundo also owns an independent station serving Puerto Rico. Telemundo is the exclusive U.S. Spanish-language home of the world’s two most popular sporting events, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, as well as the Premier League and Mexican soccer team Chivas. The #1 producer of scripted Spanish-language content in the U.S., Telemundo Global Studios includes Telemundo Television Studios, Telemundo Streaming Studios, and Underground Producciones. Telemundo’s new Tplus content brand will launch on Peacock later this year, featuring programming developed for the full spectrum of Hispanics. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Press Contacts:

Eva Mejicanos; [email protected]; (786) 459-4057