Telemundo unveils its ‘most ambitious’ 2026 World Cup TV plans
Telemundo says it’ll broadcast 92 of the 2026 World Cup’s 104 matches on its fundamental over-the-air TV channel, and can present an unprecedented 700 hours of World Cup programming all through the 39-day match.
The community, which holds Spanish-language World Cup broadcast rights within the United States, can have an on-the-ground presence in any respect 104 video games, it mentioned in a Monday information launch and an interview with TheAthletic. It can have everybody from legendary commentator Andrés Cantor to reporters and social media influencers on-site for main matches.
It’s the “most ambitious” World Cup protection plan in Telemundo’s historical past, EVP of sports activities Joaquin Duro claimed to TheAthletic.
The 700 hours of protection are greater than twice as many as Fox, which holds the World Cup’s English-language US broadcast rights, has mentioned it’ll air.
And the 92 matches on over-the-air TV are greater than Fox’s 70. They’re the utmost doable for a single channel; the one 12 matches bumped to a secondary community, Universo, can be group-stage finals, when simultaneous video games pressure broadcasters to select one among two for his or her fundamental channel.
Matches, although, symbolize solely round 208 of the 700 programming hours. Telemundo’s protection, Duro mentioned, will typically start at 8 a.m. ET in the course of the group stage and run constantly till 1 a.m. ET — that means there can be 17 consecutive hours of World Cup or World Cup-adjacent programming on over-the-air tv.
As he outlined the plan on a Monday video name, he glanced to his left, towards a calendar on his workplace wall, on the most complex World Cup schedule ever. There can be 4 matches per day from June 13-23 and 6 per day from June 24-27, many at irregular occasions and intervals. There can be no off days till July 8, between the spherical of 16 and quarterfinals.
No matter the occasions or intervals, although, Telemundo will fill days with a wide range of exhibits that may vary from severe futbol evaluation to tradition and tangential subjects.
“We’ve got so many names [of shows]to be honest, I don’t even know them,” Duro mentioned with amusing.
The thought is to create a funnel and “try to record the different fandoms,” he mentioned. The morning present will pull in informal followers or those that are extra fascinated about issues like leisure or politics.
The community will then funnel everybody, regularly, towards the soccer. The focus will slim as kickoff of the day’s first match — which may very well be wherever from midday to three pm ET — nears. Between matches, “World Passion” will function each a postgame and pregame present. After the ultimate match, there can be a recap present and hour-long variations of “El Pelotazo,” Telemundo’s nightly sports activities present.
In whole, Duro mentioned, the community will cowl techniques but additionally “everything else that is happening around the World Cup, from a cultural [perspective]from food, music, news, including some politics. “This is the first World Cup that we’re integrating the entertainment… and the news department within Telemundo.”
He additionally mentioned that he and his crew have labored with FIFA, the World Cup’s proprietor and organizer, to increase matchday entry. In the previous, FIFA would “keep you very far from the pitch,” Duro famous. “But we are having access when the teams are coming out, when the teams are warming up inside the center circle. We have, behind the goal, social media influencer positions.”
The community’s fundamental World Cup studio can be at Telemundo Center in Miami, however it’ll additionally arrange on-site studios in a number of World Cup host cities and at stadiums.
Duro described a “Tier 1” and “Tier 2” strategy to the 104 matches. “Tier 2 is massive,” I’ve clarified, however Tier 1 video games — the openers, for instance, or any sport that includes the US or Mexico — are those that may get particular therapy, with a extra intensive on-the-ground presence. “It’s probably a nightmare for finance,” he joked.
He additionally mentioned that Telemundo’s roster of on-air analysts would come with a former participant or coach from each Hispanic nation collaborating on this World Cup, plus some from “other major European countries.”
The community announced Some members of that roster, together with Cantor, will return in October, however will announce extra additions as soon as contracts are finalized.
Monday’s announcement additionally included plans for digital and social media exhibits. And Duro talked about there can be integration with NBC Sports and NBC News — with numerous verticals beneath the umbrella of NBCUniversal and Comcast, Telemundo’s mother or father firm.
All 104 matches will even be proven on Peacock, NBC’s over-the-top streaming service.
Duro mentioned that, with this World Cup being held in North America, with it increasing from 64 matches to 104 and with extra Hispanics within the US than ever earlier than, he expects some matches, and the match as an entire, to interrupt numerous home viewership information.
