Telemundo acquires Copa America TV for Spanish-language

On the heels of a very successful broadcast of the 2018 World Cup, Telemundo Deportes has acquired the Spanish-language broadcast rights to the 2019 Copa America.

Hosted in Brazil, the 2019 Copa America will feature Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela and invited teams from Japan and Qatar. The winner of the 12-team tournament will earn the right to compete for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup.

The 2019 Copa America will be the 46th edition of the quadrennial international men’s soccer championship organized by South America’s soccer ruling body CONMEBOL. Copa America is the oldest international continental soccer competition and it determines the continental champion of South America.

While the acquisition of the Copa America rights are a big coup for Telemundo, it’s a big blow to beIN SPORTS who have televised the Spanish-language and English-language broadcasts of Copa America 2015, which reached nearly 14 million viewers in the United States.

A decision on the English-language rights to the tournament has not yet been reached.

“We are extremely pleased to join forces with CONMEBOL and the Copa America tournament,” said Ray Warren, President, Telemundo Deportes. “It is a world class event and perfectly aligns with our approach to partner with owners of the biggest and best global sporting events to bring them to our Spanish-language audience in the U.S.”

Telemundo Deportes is home to two of the world’s most popular sporting events: the FIFA World Cup through 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games through 2032. In addition, Telemundo Deportes broadcasts the Premier League and FIFA World Cup CONCACAF qualifying matches for most of the region, including the Mexico and USA national teams’ away matches.