Soccer fans in the United States will be able to enjoy the Telemundo World Cup TV coverage this summer with commentators based in Russia. Plus they’re planning more than 500 hours of coverage planned across Telemundo and Universo, and more than 1,000 hours of original content across Telemundo Deportes’ digital platforms.

 

World Cup Coverage FAQs: FOX | Univision | BBC | ESPN | beIN

 

Q: Who will be showing World Cup 2018 for viewers in the United States?

A: Telemundo has the exclusive Spanish-language rights to World Cup 2018. FOX Sports has the exclusive English-language rights.

Q: What is Telemundo and Universo?

A: Telemundo is a free-to-air Spanish-language channel that’s available in most major cities in the United States. Universo, previously known as NBC Universo, is Telemundo’s sister channel that’s only available on TV via cable and satellite. Telemundo and Universo have completely different programming.

Q: How many games will be televised live on Telemundo?

A: Every single game will be shown live in the United States. According to Telemundo, 56 of the 64 games will be shown live on Telemundo while the remaining eight matches will be on Universo.

Q: Where is the World Cup TV schedule?

A: We’ve created a World Cup TV schedule that combines all of the viewing options available to soccer fans in the United States. Here’s the Telemundo World Cup TV schedule.

Q: What are the kickoff times for the World Cup 2018 games?

A: Since Russia is hosting the games and the country has a significant time zone difference with the United States, the kick-off times aren’t optimal for viewers in the States. Here’s the complete list of World Cup kickoff times. Most games will be at 8am ET, 11am ET and 2pm ET.

Q: When is the tournament?

A: June 14 to July 15, 2018.

Q: How many games will feature commentators from Telemundo at the stadiums in Russia, and what is the lineup of commentators who will be there?

A: Telemundo has announced that they will have announcers in the stadiums for approximately 65% of the games, while the other 35% of games will feature commentators announcing games from the International Broadcast Center in Moscow. Telemundo’s lead commentator will be Andres Cantor who has worked at 10 World Cup tournaments in his stellar career.

Read the list (and bios) of all of the Telemundo commentators. Plus, here’s the schedule of Telemundo’s commentators that are calling games.

Q: What talent will the networks have for World Cup 2018?

A: Telemundo’s lineup includes Andres Cantor, Sammy Sadovnik, Miguel Gurwitz, Viviana Vila, Ana Jurka, Carlos Hermosillo, Karim Mendiburu, Copan Alvarez, Manuel Sol, Juan Pablo Sorín, Claudio Borghi, Sebastián “El Loco” Abreu, Rolando Fonseca, Juan Pablo Ángel and Horacio Elizondo.

Telemundo Deportes also says several other analysts will be joining their coverage including Tab Ramos, Diego Forlan, Chucho Ramirez and Nene Cubillas.

Q: If you don’t have a cable or satellite TV subscription, what’s the best way to access every single World Cup game?

A: The best way for cord cutters to watch the World Cup is via a legal streaming service such as fuboTV, which offers access to all the channels you need (FOX, FS1, Telemundo and Universo). Plus, fuboTV includes 30 hours of DVR storage at no extra cost.

fubo offers a 7-day free trial to fuboTV for USA residents.

When you register, you’ll need to enter your zip code to see which local Telemundo channels you can access (which are available in many cities; see cities below).

As of press time, here are the cities where fuboTV is able to access local Telemundo over-the-air networks:

Boston, Brownsville, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Ft Lauderdale, Ft Worth, Fresno, Harlingen, Hartford, Holyoke (MA), Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Manchester, Miami, New Bedford, New Haven, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond-Petersburg, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose, Sierra Vista, Springfield (MA), Tucson, Visalia, Washington DC and Weslaco.

Q: What other streaming options are available?

A: You can watch games live and on-demand via the Telemundo Deportes en Vivo and NBC Sports apps, but authentication is required for both (meaning that you have to log in with your cable or satellite login details in order to prove that you subscribe to the channels via TV).

If you’re a cord cutter, your best option would be fuboTV (mentioned above) or YouTube TV.

 

 

Q: How many World Cup tournaments has Telemundo televised before?

A: It’s the first time ever that Telemundo have televised a men’s World Cup tournament. Telemundo’s parent company NBC Universal has hosted several Olympics.

Q: How will Telemundo differentiate itself from FOX Sports?

A: Telemundo’s Jim Bell says, “I think our coverage is always different. I think it’s more authentic. We all believe it’s more fun. And having our announcers at the venues, depending on how far FOX cuts back, I think everyone believes that you just get a better call when you smell the grass and seeing it in three dimensions and calling it from the booth.”

“Our goal from the beginning has been to create the most authentic and consumer-engaging coverage of a World Cup that has ever been seen in the United States,” said Telemundo Deportes Executive Vice President Eli Velazquez. “We’re looking at how we can create the most engaging, in-depth and authentic coverage that will be relatable not just to diehard soccer fans but also to the casual fans.”

In addition, Telemundo Deportes announced its first ever daily special prime-time show exclusively dedicated to World Cup, live on Telemundo. Airing nightly at 7 p.m. ET on Telemundo, throughout the duration of the tournament, the show marks the first time ever a U.S. broadcaster of the World Cup produces a prime time show solely dedicated to the World Cup.

Q: What are the expectations from Telemundo regarding the number of viewers that will tune in to the World Cup games?

A: Telemundo Executive Producer Jim Bell says that “this World Cup will be the most consumed event in Spanish-language history given the proliferation of [mobile, computer and tablet] screens, social and digital and good ‘ol linear television.” No specific estimates were given in terms of numbers, but the expectations are high.

Q: What impact will the United States not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup have on the coverage?

A: “It’s unfortunate that the United States didn’t make it in [to the World Cup],” said Telemundo Deportes President Ray Warren. “But we’re going to serve our fans because it’s the World Cup. We have no plans to do anything less because of [the US not qualifying].”

Q: How many homes is Telemundo available in?

A: Telemundo is in more than 53 million homes in the United States. It reaches 94% of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets through its 17 owned stations and 55 broadcast affiliates. In addition, Telemundo also owns WKAQ, a local television station serving Puerto Rico.

Universo is available in more than 40 million households.

Q: What about reruns of World Cup games for soccer fans who miss the live games?

A: Universo will carry encore presentations of each day’s games beginning at 5 p.m. ET every day from Friday, June 15 through Sunday, June 24. During the last week of the group stage, from Monday, June 25, through Thursday, June 28, encores will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET. For the round of 16 and through the Final, encore presentations will air each night beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Q: Will Telemundo have an SAP option?

A: No, Telemundo will not have a SAP option. Telemundo has the exclusive Spanish-language rights so they’re not allowed to broadcast games in English-language even via SAP.

Q: What is Telemundo’s World Cup theme song?

A: The track is entitled “Sueño de Campeones,” which is composed and produced by the award-winning Yoav Goren. More details here.

Q: Will Telemundo be sending reporters from across the U.S. to the World Cup in Russia?

A: Telemundo Station Group has announced it’s dispatching a team of local station journalists from stations in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, McAllen and its news bureaus in Washington, D.C. and Miami to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

The station group’s team consists of 12 sports and news anchors, photographers and producers. This is the largest group of Telemundo station journalists to ever report from an international, live sporting event. Telemundo’s local journalists will round out Telemundo Deportes’ coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup by delivering local audiences the most relevant and compelling coverage about all 32 competing teams across the stations’ on-air, digital and mobile platforms. The stations’ mobile apps will also help soccer enthusiasts watch livestreams of the games and receive their World Cup news and sports updates wherever they go.

More details here.

Q: How many World Cup games will be televised in HD?

A: All of the World Cup games from Russia will be televised in HD. According to Telemundo, virtually all of the local Telemundo stations nationwide will broadcast in HD (representing 99% of their broadcast coverage).

Q: Will World Cup games be available in 4K HDR from Telemundo?

A: Telemundo will offer a special multi camera 4K feed available on a video-on-demand, next-day basis for every game through Comcast and xFinity.

Q: What World Cup programs will Telemundo have outside of the games?

A: The all-day programming will cover all angles of the tournament, beginning each morning at 7 a.m. ET and often running through midnight. The line-up below includes times that may vary to accommodate matches.

UN NUEVO DIA, Monday – Sunday, 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. ET: The 2018 FIFA World Cup will start with Un Nuevo Dia as the show kicks off coverage every day of the tournament seven days a week. The multiple Emmy Award-winning daily morning show will be a key component of Telemundo’s coverage of the World Cup, bringing all the passion and stories surrounding the fans in Russia and throughout the United States and Latin America, starting Monday, June 11.

Hosts Rashel Díaz and Marco Antonio Regil will broadcast from the famous and iconic Gorky Park in Moscow while correspondents Camilo Montoya, Karina Monroy and Stephanie Himonidis will travel throughout the country to bring all the passion of the World Cup along with the culture and people of Russia to viewers. The team complementing the coverage from the new set and state-of-the-art facility Telemundo Center headquarters will support with content focused on how fans are experiencing the World Cup in the United States and throughout the Latin American countries represented in the event.

AL ROJO VIVO CON MARÍA CELESTE, Monday – Friday, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET: Emmy Award-winning host, María Celeste Arrarás, will host Telemundo’s acclaimed news magazine starting June 14 from Zaryadye Park near Red Square in Moscow. To help provide ongoing coverage throughout the tournament and across the cities in Russia, Jorge Miramontesand Jessica Carrillo will be on-site through the World Cup final.

NOTICIAS TELEMUNDO, Monday – Sunday, 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET: The award-winning daily television newscast will be produced in Russia with anchors José Díaz-Balart and Julio Vaqueiro reporting from Zaryadye Park with Red Square as backdrop. Julio Vaqueiro, Rogelio Mora, Edgar Munoz, Lourdes Hurtado and Victor Hugo will travel through Russia to cover main events for our audiences.

HOY EN LA COPA MUNDIAL DE LA FIFA, Daily Preview and Recap, Times Vary: The preview and recap shows will be produced from Telemundo Deportes Red Square studios in Russia . The show will open each day providing a general viewof main storylines ahead of the day’s first match and will close immediately following the last game of the day, highlighting the teams and the day’s matchups, featuring quotes and interviews from coaches and players.

Hosted by Telemundo Deportes’ Miguel Gurwitz, Ana Jurka and Carlos Hermosillo, with participation from all expert commentators, such as former coaches, players and announcers on the Telemundo Deportes commentary team in Russia, the show will range from 30 to 90 minutes depending on the day’s line-up.

TITULARES Y MAS, Monday – Sunday, 11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. ET: The leading late-night sports entertainment show, offering the latest news and commentary, will be extended to a one-hour show during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Host Ana Jurka will be onsite in Russia reporting from Red Square on all the action of the day with special guests and analysts. Co-host Karim Mendiburu will support from the brand-new studio in Telemundo Center alongside Erika Csiszer from Un Nuevo Dia, who will join Titulares y Más for the duration of the tournament.

 

If you have any questions about the Telemundo World Cup TV coverage, please let us know in the comments section below.