Telemundo's Champions League Deal
Telemundo secures exclusive U.S. Spanish-language TV rights for UEFA Champions League starting 2027-28.
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Telemundo has locked up exclusive U.S. Spanish-language television rights to the UEFA Champions League, the world's most-watched club soccer competition. The three-year deal covers all UEFA men's events and kicks off with the 2027-28 season, according to Tri-City Herald.
Matches will air across Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, and Telemundo's own streaming channel. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal adds to a growing Spanish-language sports portfolio for the network, which already holds U.S. Spanish-speaking rights to the Premier League and both the U.S. men's and women's national teams, The News Tribune reported.
What the Deal Covers and When It Starts
The agreement is not just for the Champions League. It covers all UEFA men's soccer competitions. That includes tournaments like the Europa League and the UEFA Nations League. The deal runs for three years, starting in the 2027-28 campaign, according to Mahoning Matters.
Fans will have multiple ways to watch. Games will be available on the broadcast network Telemundo, cable channel Universo, and the Peacock streaming service. Telemundo's own streaming channel will also carry matches, giving Spanish-speaking viewers flexible options at home or on the go.
Telemundo Builds a Spanish-Language Soccer Empire
This Champions League deal fits a clear pattern. Telemundo has been building the largest Spanish-language soccer rights package in the United States. The network already owns the Spanish-language broadcast rights to the Premier League, England's top soccer division. It also holds rights to U.S. men's and women's national team matches, The State reported.
That combination — club soccer and national team soccer — gives Telemundo a stranglehold on the Spanish-language market. No other U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster can match the depth of that lineup heading into the late 2020s.
World Cup Ratings Show the Scale of Telemundo's Audience
Telemundo's reach is not theoretical. The network averaged 6 million total viewers per match through the World Cup semifinals, according to Bellingham Herald. That number combines Telemundo's broadcast audience with Peacock viewers who watched via the shared feed.
Those figures show just how large the U.S. Spanish-speaking sports audience has become. Six million viewers per match rivals or beats many English-language broadcasts. That audience size helps explain why Telemundo is aggressively adding rights deals ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. is set to co-host.
Champions League Rights Were Previously Held by Univision
Univision, Telemundo's main rival in Spanish-language television, had previously held the U.S. Spanish-language rights to the Champions League. Telemundo pulling those rights away is a major competitive blow. It strips Univision of one of the most prestigious soccer properties in the world.
The shift signals a broader war for the U.S. Latino sports viewer. With the 2026 World Cup approaching and soccer's popularity surging in the U.S., the stakes for Spanish-language broadcast rights have never been higher. Telemundo, backed by NBCUniversal and Peacock's streaming infrastructure, appears to be winning that fight.
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