Julio Sonino of Telemundo: “With Telemundo Deportes AHORA We Are going To Revolutionize The FAST Channel Industry”

Since Telemundo Deportes produced a 24/7 streaming channel for Peacock during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022—which was on the platform for 30 days, involved the entire leadership team, and featured 90% of its on-air talent—they confirmed that FAST “was the way to reach new audiences.” The FAST channel Telemundo Deportes AHORA, launching this Thursday the 14th, is the realization of that goal.

This FAST channel will debut on platforms such as Peacock, Xumo Play, the NBC News FAST hub, and Telemundo.com, with part of its content also streaming live on YouTube. It will also become available on other digital platforms in the coming months.

“For us, getting to August 14 and seeing the channel on air is both a culmination and a beginning. I think this is the perfect time to launch FAST. It’s not just me—this is also the belief of the company, which is launching a large number of FAST channels this year. But I do think we are going to revolutionize the FAST Channel industry, because we are going to have a lot, a lot of live programming, and that will be the difference. And we have a production level that I would say is broadcast quality. When you watch the channel, you’re going to say: this is a broadcast channel that works on streaming,” said Julio Sonino, VP, Content Production, Sports at Telemundo, to PRODU.

Telemundo Deportes AHORA joins Telemundo’s FAST channel lineup, which includes Telemundo Al Día (news, entertainment, reality, and sports), Noticias Telemundo AHORA (24/7 Spanish-language news), Telemundo Acción (adrenaline-filled series), and Caso Cerrado (Telemundo’s iconic court show).

Sonino emphasized that, until now, it was uncommon in the FAST space to see a channel with so many hours of live programming. “Our Sports department has so many events in hand that we needed a platform to showcase them, and sports is, by nature, live. Beyond that, we will also have analysis and debate shows, but there will be a huge amount of live sports: soccer, basketball, motocross, mixed martial arts, padel. Since we also manage the programming grid and are a purely and exclusively sports channel, we have the option to put all these sports live. I believe that will be one of the key reasons audiences will choose our channel—because we will have the highest number of live sports hours per day,” he explained.

DIGITAL-FIRST APPROACH

Sonino noted that audience habits are changing. “We’re no longer just watching traditional TV—our audience is also looking to watch TV on different devices, and the television language itself is changing toward productions that are more direct, entertaining, and closer to the viewer. These new generations and new tastes also need to be addressed as we head toward the FIFA World Cup 2026. We already know our traditional TV broadcasts are a success and will be a tremendous success. With this FAST channel launch, we are targeting a different, younger audience that interacts differently with the medium, can engage with it, and is used to receiving a different kind of on-screen message. There will be a lot of digital-first content—that’s a differentiator. Our goal is to bring in this new sports-loving audience, and in this case, those who love soccer and the World Cup,” he said.

TELEMUNDO DEPORTES AHORA

The new Telemundo Deportes AHORA streaming channel offers a dynamic, 24-hour sports experience with more than 50 hours of new Spanish-language content each week, including original programming, live shows, and select sporting events—all designed for today’s digital audiences.

As the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 heats up, Telemundo Deportes AHORA will deliver comprehensive soccer coverage and more, with expert commentary and a fresh perspective on sports storytelling. The channel will complement Telemundo’s most valuable sports rights with additional properties such as LATAM Basketball, select MMA events, bare-knuckle boxing, and the Pro-Paddle League.

The Telemundo Deportes talent roster will contribute dedicated programming to the FAST channel, offering extended and exclusive coverage. Andrés Cantor, Carlota Vizmanos, Diego Balado, and Luis Omar Tapia will expand their Premier League coverage; Jorge Calvo, José Luis López Salido, and Miguel Gurwitz will provide additional Liga MX content; and Isabella Echeverri will enhance U.S. Men’s National Team programming.

Telemundo will debut new live shows exclusively for Telemundo Deportes AHORA.

Here are the weekday daily premieres on the channel:

Telemundo Deportes Al Día – 1pm: Hosted by Carmen Boquín, this show offers the freshest news and a preview of the day’s programming.

Puesta a Punto – 6pm: An in-depth analysis, debate, and commentary program featuring Telemundo’s sports team.

El Pelotazo AHORA – 11pm: Hosted by Diego Arrioja, Pablo Mariño, and Verónica Rodríguez, with regular contributions from Adriana Monsalve. This show extends the network’s nightly sports program, featuring a 360° approach, energetic hosts, special guests, and lively debates offering a fresh look at the day’s most talked-about sports moments.

It will also feature original segments such as Fútbol MX, Fútbol US Soccer, and Tercer tiempo AHORA. Around Premier League coverage, it will include Zona de la Premier League, player profiles in Historias y Leyendas de la Premier League, pre- and post-match analysis in Previa de la Premier League and Repaso de la Premier League.

Additionally, it will offer weekly shows like Panorama Deportivo, hosted by Jorge Calvo; Somos O No Somos, hosted by Miguel Gurwitz; and Mundo PX Sports.