NBC Universal owned channel agrees deal with US soccer federation to air at least 20 national team games per year
American terrestrial TV channel Telemundo, owned by NBC Universal, has secured the rights to multiple years of soccer coverage involving the men's and women's US national teams.
More than 20 games per year will be shown on the Spanish-language network throughout the deal, with matches being made available on terrestrial television via Telemundo and on live streaming service Peacock.
The US soccer federation is looking to make the most of huge viewing figures for the recent FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
NBC Universal Enterprises Chairman, Beau Ferrari, said in a statement:
“Building off the momentum of a historic World Cup 2022, we are proud to partner with the U.S. Soccer Federation and become the new exclusive Spanish-language home of Team USA. The U.S. National Teams will be a cornerstone of our portfolio of premier sports franchises, multiplatform live sports offering and new IP content creation.”
While Cindy Parlow Cone, President of the US Soccer Federation, said:
“We’re incredibly excited to begin our partnership with Telemundo as we continue to bring the passion of our sport and National Teams to Spanish-speaking audiences. It’s a special time for soccer in the United States, and Telemundo’s commitment to double-down and amplify the sport's growth through their unparalleled portfolio of platforms serves as an incredible foundation of the partnership."
Telemundo and Peacock will provide coverage of more than 20 US national team matches per year including friendlies, premier women's competition the SheBelieves Cup, CONCACAF Nations League games, and other important fixtures involving the men's and women's teams.
This deal will also see Telemundo positioned as the home of Spanish-language USMNT and USWNT content throughout the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the soccer tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and even the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, the latter being the undisputed king of all global soccer competitions.
On top of airing live coverage of all of these events, Telemundo and Peacock will be free to produce supplementary programming alongside it.
Executive Vice-President of Sports at Telemundo, Eli Velazquez, also gave his thoughts on the deal:
“We are uniquely positioned to offer the most complete Spanish-language coverage of our U.S. National Teams and their road to the biggest soccer tournaments in the world with the quality production and authenticity only we can deliver. We are thrilled to partner with U.S. Soccer and leverage our world-class commentary team led by Andres Cantor to further elevate the fandom for our National Teams among Latinos across every screen.”
Telemundo is already a world leader in Spanish-language based coverage of some of the world's most pivotal sporting events. This deal with the US soccer federation only bolsters an existing portfolio of sports content which includes exclusive coverage of the Mexican top flight Liga MX, the English Premier League and even NFL Sunday Night Football.
NBC Universal, through Telemundo, are understandably keen to capitalise on the continuous growth in popularity of soccer in the US, and the undying thirst for soccer exhibited particularly among its Spanish-speaking population.
With decades of brand recognition ,a world class team of expert broadcasters, and the production powerhouse of NBC behind them, Telemundo can continue to help grow the sport of soccer in the US and please millions of fans through this latest agreement.
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