Telemundo Inks New U.S. Soccer Federation Deal

U.S. Soccer Federation
(Image credit: U.S. Soccer Federation)

MIAMI, Fla.—Hoping to build on the success of its presentation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which saw record audiences, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have inked a multimedia rights agreement that will make Telemundo the new exclusive Spanish-language home of the Women’s and Men’s National Teams across all platforms, including Peacock, in the United States.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

The new agreement will feature more than 20 U.S. National Team matches each year across Telemundo, Universo, Peacock—presented by the digital content brand Tplus—and Telemundo’s digital platforms, consisting of National Team friendlies (including premium U.S. matches against Mexico), the SheBelieves Cup, and other key events involving the Women’s and Men’s National Soccer Teams, such as select CONCACAF Nations League matches.

The deal will include and culminate with coverage of special events and content opportunities during Send-Off matches and leading up to, during and following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be co-hosted among Canada, Mexico and the United States. 

“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,” said Beau Ferrari, chairman, NBCUniversal Enterprises. “We look forward to together propelling the growth of soccer in the United States and serving our audiences across all platforms, as we build toward the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 and FIFA Men’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.”

“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,” said U.S. Soccer Federation president, Cindy Parlow Cone. “It’s a special time for soccer in the United States, and Telemundo’s commitment to double-down and amplify the sports growth through their unparalleled portfolio of platforms serves as an incredible foundation of the partnership. With Telemundo as the rights holder of the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Olympic Games, and the Premier League, there will be prominent opportunities to highlight our players and teams to bring unprecedented access to fans during marquee moments.”

The partnership begins in 2023 with U.S. Women’s international friendly matches against New Zealand today, Jan. 17 and Friday, Jan. 20 airing live at 10:05 p.m. ET on Universo and streaming on Peacock and the Telemundo app.

Marquee matches will follow next week in Los Angeles as the U.S. Men’s team faces Serbia on Wednesday, Jan. 25 on Universo and Colombia on Saturday, Jan. 28 on Telemundo at the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle. 

All matches will stream live on Peacock and the Telemundo app. 

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George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.