Luis Fernández of NBCUniversal: “The World Cup Didn’t Just Break Records: It Took Telemundo to a New Level”

In a special interview on Radio PRODU, Ríchard Izarra, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of PRODU, spoke with Luis Fernández, Chairman of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, who has just emerged from one of the most demanding events in Telemundo’s history: the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament required more than two years of preparation, the coordination of approximately 700 people—including 80 on-air talents from across Ibero-America—and a complex logistics operation spanning three countries.

“You’ve spoken about my success during this World Cup, but let me correct that: it was Telemundo’s success. I think it was about two months before the tournament, during a town hall we held at Telemundo Center with César Conde, that I ended my remarks by saying Telemundo was going to win the World Cup. Coincidentally, the day after the tournament ended, on July 20, I emailed all our employees saying, ‘Telemundo wins the World Cup.’ Because I truly believe that. And Richard, it’s not just me saying it—the country’s most respected media outlets have said it as well,” Fernández said proudly, before citing several U.S. and international publications that echoed the sentiment: The Washington Post: “More English-speaking viewers are choosing to watch the World Cup in Spanish”; The New York Times: “The Mexico vs. England match set a new record as the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history”; Variety: “The World Cup propelled Telemundo and Peacock to record audience levels”; and CNN: “The best way to watch the World Cup is in Spanish.”

“You couldn’t ask for much more. We never imagined we would achieve this level of success among both Hispanic and non-Hispanic audiences in the U.S. It’s a source of pride and an honor,” Fernández added.

A HISTORIC WORLD CUP

Fernández said he considers it a historic World Cup. “We didn’t just break audience, viewership and social conversation records. I think we achieved something much more difficult: we made Telemundo a central part of the national conversation and elevated the brand to a level of relevance it had never reached before. And as I keep repeating like a mantra, that didn’t happen by chance.”

He said the achievement was the result of a strategy built on creativity, planning and flawless execution by the Telemundo team, “and above all, a constant drive to innovate, challenge the status quo and do things that had never been attempted before. Every idea, every detail, every effort contributed to building something extraordinary.”

He noted that before this World Cup in the U.S., “none of the five most-watched matches on traditional linear television had aired on Telemundo, even after two World Cups—Russia and Qatar (2018 and 2022). Now that this World Cup has concluded, we have three of the five most-watched matches, and of course, the most-watched of all belongs to Telemundo.”

A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

Fernández highlighted the collaboration among Telemundo’s various teams. While he declined to single out any one department, he shared an email from a Telemundo colleague that illustrates the scale of the effort:

“I’ve had the opportunity to experience every Telemundo World Cup, and I can say with complete conviction that we have never worked in such an integrated way across all our departments.”

“That fills me with pride and satisfaction,” Fernández said.

He also praised César Conde for his leadership and support throughout Telemundo’s World Cup coverage.

“You can’t imagine—and neither can Radio PRODU’s listeners—the level of involvement, interest, knowledge and support that César has for Telemundo, and specifically for this World Cup,” he said.

He also gave special recognition to Telemundo’s local stations.

Fernández had high praise for NBCUniversal’s commercial team as well. “The collaboration with the sales team has been outstanding. As you know, there’s usually a great deal of tension between content and sales. I always try to bring people together, and I believe the relationship with the sales team has been exceptional, and the results speak for themselves,” he said.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Shortly before the end of the World Cup, Telemundo announced that it had acquired the Spanish-language U.S. rights to the UEFA Champions League.

“The New York Times, one of the finest newspapers in the world, ran the headline: ‘After a Successful World Cup, Telemundo Acquires Champions League Rights.’ My statement was very simple: there are two iconic brands, two great competitions, two great stories—the World Cup for national teams and the Champions League for clubs. But they share one common thread, Richard: the stars. You saw Bellingham, Dembélé, Mbappé, Haaland and Kane at the World Cup, and now you’ll see those same stars in the Champions League,” Fernández said.

LIVE TV IS A STRATEGIC PRIORITY

The conversation also turned to trends in broadcast television. Fernández recalled Telemundo’s new slogan: “If it’s live, it’s on Telemundo.”

“That was a strategic decision. I have to admit that some of my colleagues looked down on me—or thought I was an idiot, or perhaps both—saying, ‘What nonsense is this man talking about?’ Live television is one of the most important positions to defend. It represents the value of traditional television. And that’s where we are,” he said.

Listen to Luis Fernández’s interview on Radio PRODU.