Viewership of FIFA World Cup 2026™ Averages 7.5 Million Viewers, Up +234% vs. 2022 Through First Twelve Games
USA Opener on Friday is Most-Watched USMNT FIFA World Cup™ Match Ever on Spanish-Language Television, Averaging Total Audience Delivery of 9.5 Million Viewers
Brazil vs. Morrocco Becomes Second Most-Watched Match Ever in Spanish-Language Television
Miami, FL, June 16, 2026 – Telemundo’s Spanish-language coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ continued to break records throughout the first weekend of world class match-ups taking place across Mexico, Canada and the Unites States averaging a Total Audience Delivery of 7.5 million viewers through the first 12 games of the tournament, capturing an average of 53% of the total World Cup audience in the U.S.
Last Friday’s US Men’s National Team inaugural match against Paraguay became the most-watched USMNT FIFA World Cup match ever on Spanish-language television, with a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 9.5 million, delivering +174% versus the USMNT’s first Group Stage match in the 2022 tournament.
On Saturday, June 13th, Brazil’s tournament debut against Morocco made Spanish-language television World Cup history, delivering 11.2 million viewers and making it the most-watched FIFA World Cup™ Brazil game ever, as well as the 2nd highest Men’s World Cup match ever, behind only Mexico’s opening match on June 11. This delivery is also +97% higher than Brazil’s first 2022 Group Stage match.
The Ecuador vs. Ivory Coast match on Sunday, June 14 ranked as Ecuador’s most-watched World Cup match ever on Spanish-language television, delivering 9.2 million viewers and surpassing their prior record during the 2022 opening game vs. Qatar by +126%.
These matches come on the heels of Thursday’s record-breaking inaugural match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium, which delivered 13.4 million total viewers and was the most-watched FIFA World Cup Opening Game in history, regardless of language, and the most-watched men’s game ever in Spanish-language television.
To date, ten games have delivered a TAD of at least 5 million viewers, while no games had reached this delivery at the comparable game count in 2022.
Across Peacock and Telemundo’s digital streaming platforms, the tournament-to-date (June 11- June 14) has delivered an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 2.5 million viewers, representing 34% of the total audience and marking a +289% increase in AMA when compared to the first 12 matches in 2022 (652K AMA).
Following are highlights for each match of the opening weekend (Thursday, June 11 – Sunday, June 14):
| Date | Time (All Times ET) | Match | Viewers (TAD) |
| June 11 | 3:00 pm | Mexico vs South Africa | 13.4 million |
| June 11 | 9:00 pm | Korea Republic vs Czechia | 6.4 million |
| June 12 | 3:00 pm | Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.5 million |
| June 12 | 9:00 pm | USA vs Paraguay | 9.5 million |
| June 13 | 3:00 pm | Qatar vs Switzerland | 5.5 million |
| June 13 | 6:00 pm | Brazil vs Morocco | 11.2 million |
| June 13 | 9:00 pm | Haiti vs Scotland | 6.0 million |
| June 14 | 12:00 am | Australia vs Turkey | 3.4 million* |
| June 14 | 1:00 pm | Germany vs Curacao | 6.4 million |
| June 14 | 4:00 pm | Netherlands vs Japan | 8.4 million |
| June 14 | 7:00 pm | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | 9.2 million |
| June 14 | 9:00 pm | Sweden vs Tunisia | 4.8 million* |
* Preliminary TAD
Telemundo will deliver more than 700 hours of World Cup programming from June 11 to July 19, 2026—the most ever for a Spanish-language presentation in the United States—including all 104 matches live. A total of 92 matches will air on Telemundo and 12 on Universo, marking the most FIFA World Cup™ matches ever broadcast on a U.S. network, regardless of language. Every match will stream live on Peacock and the Telemundo App, with on-site production at all 104 matches across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, providing unmatched access and real-time storytelling from every host venue.
As the streaming home of Telemundo, Peacock will deliver Telemundo’s comprehensive coverage of all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches live in Spanish, enhanced by Dolby Atmos® immersive sound and Peacock’s industry-leading interactive features. Fans can explore a new Spanish-language World Cup Hub featuring live matches alongside popular Peacock features like Multiview, Catch Up with Key Plays, Can’t Miss Highlights, Live Picks and Trivia – available in Spanish for the first time. Complementing this are new features such as Visión de Campo and Tu Bracket for select matches, transforming viewing into active participation and extending engagement beyond the live match.
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, L+SD, match window for TAD; Adobe Analytics. 6/11/26-6/14/26.
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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 U.S. Hispanics through its national broadcast network, the cable network Universo, and digital platforms including the Telemundo app, a suite of FAST channels, and streaming services, such as Peacock, among others. The Telemundo Network offers Spanish-language entertainment, news, and sports content reaching 96% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 owned stations and 94 affiliate stations. Telemundo also owns an independent station serving Puerto Rico. Anchored on Telemundo Studios, the network is the #1 producer of scripted Spanish-language content in the U.S., and the only network to produce original content specifically for US Hispanic audiences. Offering over 600 hours of reality TV shows a year, and top-rated live specials such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Miss Universe, Telemundo is considered the undisputed Home of Live TV in Hispanic media. The network is also the exclusive Spanish-language home of the world’s two most popular sporting events, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
