We have the official announcement from NBC Universal’s Telemundo obtaining the rights to the FIFA World Cups starting in 2015 and running through 2022. Under the agreement announced Friday by FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, Fox and Telemundo will air the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019 and the Men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2022. Telemundo will take the US Spanish language rights away from Univision. This marks the first time that Telemundo will air the World’s most popular event.
Famed soccer announcer Andres Cantor will become the Voice of the World Cup for Telemundo and be used extensively for FIFA events on the network.
In addition, NBC Universal will utilize sister Spanish language network mun2 to compliment Telemundo’s coverage. We have the press release from Telemundo.
TELEMUNDO ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE SPANISH LANGUAGE U.S. MEDIA RIGHTS TO FIFA WORLD CUP
NBCUNIVERSAL’S TELEMUNDO ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE SPANISH LANGUAGE U.S. MEDIA RIGHTS TO FIFA WORLD CUP SOCCER FROM 2015 THROUGH 2022
Historic Deal Makes Telemundo Media Home to FIFA World CupNEW YORK – Oct. 21, 2011 – For the first time in its broadcast history, NBCUniversal’s Telemundo Media has acquired the exclusive Spanish language U.S. media rights to FIFA World Cup Soccer across all platforms (except radio) from 2015 through 2022, which includes the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, among other FIFA events. The joint announcement was made today by NBCUniversal and FIFA.
The agreement includes exclusive U.S. Spanish language all platform media rights (excluding radio) for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada – the year before NBCUniversal broadcasts the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, FIFA Confederations Cup and all Under-20 and Under-17 FIFA World Cup matches in this time period. Additionally, the all-encompassing media agreement includes exclusive coverage and promotion of FIFA soccer events across multiple NBCUniversal properties including Spanish-language broadcast and cable television, Internet, broadband, wireless and Video-On-Demand.
“This landmark deal for Telemundo represents perhaps the greatest milestone in its history,” said Lauren Zalaznick, Chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media. “The acquisition of the FIFA World Cup, one of the world’s great sporting events, speaks directly to the commitment NBCUniversal has made in the future of Telemundo and to our diverse U.S. Hispanic communities that we serve.”
“We are extremely honored to be the Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup Soccer from 2015-2022 and bring this powerful property to our viewers with the high-production value they have come to expect from Deportes Telemundo,” said Emilio Romano, President of Telemundo. “Soccer is much more than a sport; it is a cultural phenomenon that inspires billions around the world and unites every community in a single language, the language of soccer. We are delighted to partner with FIFA to continue to grow the game of soccer in the United States.”
As part of the largest programming acquisition in its history, Telemundo – the fastest growing network in any language – becomes, for the first time ever, the exclusive U.S. Spanish language home of the FIFA World Cup. With the full promotional support of NBCUniversal, the Telemundo broadcast network and its local stations, cable network mun2, and all of Telemundo Media’s associated online platforms will feature coverage of all FIFA Men and Women’s World Cup games from 2015 through 2022. Additionally, both Telemundo and mun2 will provide extensive coverage of the FIFA Confederations Cup, FIFA Men’s and Women’s U-17 World Cup, FIFA Men’s and Women’s U-20 World Cup as well as live coverage of the official draws and ceremonies.
Andres Cantor, Telemundo’s Emmy-award winning sports anchor known as the “voice of soccer” around the world, will now become the play-by-play “face of soccer” for Telemundo’s FIFA World Cup coverage. Deportes Telemundo has produced soccer events for over two decades.
In addition to the FIFA events, Telemundo currently owns the exclusive U.S. broadcast and online rights to certain away FIFA World Cup qualifying matches of The Mexican National Team and the home of Mexico’s most popular club team Las Chivas de Guadalajara making Deportes Telemundo the premiere destination to the most comprehensive Spanish-language soccer coverage in the United States starting in 2015.
And I’ll post a few more press releases before calling it a night.
