English Viewers Embrace Spanish Broadcasts of World Cup

WHO:

ABC News - Ashleigh Hallam teaches English as a second language at a local library in Indiana.

AP News - Jackson Braunius is a Michigan native who watched a U.S. game from a bar in Miami Lakes, Florida.

AP News - Comedian Trevor Noah has been hosting World Cup watch parties on YouTube.

AP News - William Kennedy of Miami is married to a Colombian woman whose native language is Spanish.

WHAT:

ABC News - English-speaking viewers in the U.S. are watching World Cup broadcasts in Spanish on Telemundo.

AP News - Telemundo reports that roughly half of World Cup viewers in the U.S. have watched some matches in Spanish.

ABC News - The Belgium-U.S. match peaked at around 41 million viewers, making it the “most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history.”

AP News - The final U.S. game in this World Cup had at least 45 million viewers, averaging 33 million on Fox and an estimated 12 million on Telemundo.

AP News - The most recent Super Bowl drew an average of about 125 million viewers.

WHERE:

ABC News - The broadcasts are available in the U.S. on Telemundo, Universo, Fox, and FS1.

AP News - Jackson Braunius watched the game from a bar in Miami Lakes, Florida.

WHEN:

AP News - The next World Cup is anticipated to be watched in the same manner as this one.

WHY:

ABC News - Viewers cite reasons for watching Spanish broadcasts, including the excitement of broadcaster Andrés Cantor's “¡goooooool!” call and the absence of commercial breaks during hydration breaks.

AP News - Some viewers find Spanish broadcasts more entertaining and cost-effective, as Peacock, which includes Telemundo, is lower-priced than Fox One.

HOW:

ABC News - Viewers are learning to interpret the game through the excitement in the announcers' voices, even if they do not understand the language.

AP News - Trevor Noah mentioned that watching without commercial breaks allows viewers to see players discussing the game and experiencing the stress and joy of the match.

(UPDATED July 10, 2026 08:14 UTC)

In a remarkable shift, English-speaking viewers in the U.S. are tuning into World Cup broadcasts in Spanish on Telemundo, with reports indicating that roughly half of the audience has engaged with matches in this language. The recent Belgium-U.S. match reached an impressive peak of around 41 million viewers, marking it as the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history, while the final U.S. game drew at least 45 million viewers across platforms. Many fans, like Jackson Braunius who watched from a bar in Miami Lakes, Florida, appreciate the excitement of the Spanish commentary and the uninterrupted action during hydration breaks, making the viewing experience even more engaging.