Telemundo’s commitment to global soccer coverage extends beyond the World Cup final. The network has acquired U.S. Spanish-language broadcast rights for all UEFA men’s club competitions for three seasons starting in 2027-28. This announcement was made public on Sunday.
The agreement provides live coverage of every match in the UEFA Champions League across NBCUniversal’s platforms, such as Peacock, Universo, and Telemundo Deportes Ahora, its free ad-supported television channel. In addition, Telemundo holds the Spanish-language rights to the UEFA Europa League, Conference League, and Super Cup.
“The World Cup didn’t really create an American soccer audience; it revealed it,” said Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group.
After Telemundo’s World Cup broadcasts attracted record audiences, the network aimed to continue this momentum. The Champions League, featuring renowned players from the World Cup, seemed a fitting choice.
Underlining the appeal of live soccer, Luis Fernández, Chairman of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, emphasized their strategy focused on live TV. Telemundo has invested significantly in the sport, announcing it will broadcast over 100 seasons matches from Germany’s Bundesliga. The network already covers the Spanish-language broadcasts for the Premier League, the Olympics, U.S. national teams, and Liga MX clubs Guadalajara, FC Juárez, and Tigres UANL.
“If you ask what is the most important franchise brand sports rights in football and soccer, there are only two names: World Cup for the national teams and Champions League for the most important clubs in the world,” Fernández stated.
Soccer viewership has surged in the U.S., highlighted by a total audience of 6 million during Telemundo’s World Cup semifinal coverage, a 147% increase from the 2022 World Cup. A record 50 million watched the U.S. match in the World Cup round of 16, marking it the most-watched non-NFL sporting event this century. Despite the U.S. team’s exit, viewership remained high, with 11.4 million tuning in to see Argentina’s semifinal victory over England, setting a record for Spanish-language media.
Telemundo reaches 96% of U.S. Hispanic TV households, but the World Cup audience wasn’t limited to Spanish speakers. Telemundo’s broadcasts garnered over half of some matches’ audiences, including the round of 16 match between England and Mexico.
“Fans increasingly aren’t choosing to consume premium soccer based only on language,” Conde noted. “They’re choosing it based on authenticity and the experience that they want to get out of the events.”
Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President, emphasized that the deal reflects strong competitions and the enthusiasm of Spanish-speaking U.S. fans.