Story perspectives

Record 45 Million Watch Belgium-U.S. Match, Half in Spanish

7/11/2026

Summary

Telemundo Breaks Record

The Belgium-U.S. match drew about 41 million viewers, with combined Fox and Telemundo coverage averaging over 45 million, a U.S. soccer record.
Telemundo says roughly half of U.S. viewers watched in Spanish, though the Census shows about one-in-five Americans are Hispanic.
Viewers praise Andrés Cantor’s “¡goooooool!” call, uninterrupted hydration-break coverage, and Peacock’s lower cost versus Fox One.
English teacher Ashleigh Hallam says the Spanish broadcast helps her learn Spanish and connect with students.

Summary

FIFA Bundles Rights

FIFA may bundle English-Spanish World Cup rights into $1.5-$2.0 billion package for 2030 and 2034 tournaments.
Bob Thompson warned on X that the $1.5-$2.0 billion price could force Fox to quit while it balances NFL talks, MLB and college-sports renewals and winter scheduling for the 2030 Spain-Portugal-Morocco event.
NBCUniversal, which owns Telemundo, could secure the sole U.S. package and is using an Owen Wilson ad and live English thank-you to draw viewers.

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Telemundo Breaks Record

The Belgium-U.S. match drew about 41 million viewers, with combined Fox and Telemundo coverage averaging over 45 million, a U.S. soccer record.
Telemundo says roughly half of U.S. viewers watched in Spanish, though the Census shows about one-in-five Americans are Hispanic.
Viewers praise Andrés Cantor’s “¡goooooool!” call, uninterrupted hydration-break coverage, and Peacock’s lower cost versus Fox One.
English teacher Ashleigh Hallam says the Spanish broadcast helps her learn Spanish and connect with students.

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