Telemundo: “We Have Stations In 8 Of The World Cup Host Cities, Which Gives Great Opportunity With Viewers And Clients”

José Cancela, who has been president of the Telemundo Station Group for two years, said they own stations in eight of the cities where matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played in the U.S.: Miami, Philadelphia, New York (where the final will be held), Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

“For us, this World Cup is a great blessing. Having that presence, that platform at the local level across the country, coast to coast, gives us a great opportunity for our viewers, but obviously also for our clients,” Cancela said on #PRODUprimetime with Ríchard Izarra from Miami.

Cancela noted that this will be the last World Cup under the current cycle of broadcast rights held by Telemundo and NBCUniversal.

THE WORLD CUP HAS EXCEEDED ALL SALES EXPECTATIONS

Asked about sales for this World Cup, Cancela said it has exceeded all expectations. “For me it’s not a surprise because from the moment it was announced, in my view, a World Cup in the U.S. was clearly going to be one of the biggest sporting events ever held in the country, possibly in its history. Those of us who understand soccer and its fan base know what’s going to happen here. It’s nothing like the last World Cup. In 2026, soccer is globally dominant,” he said.

When asked whether he believes the World Cup final could surpass this year’s Super Bowl ratings in the U.S., Cancela said, “Yes, not only in the U.S., but worldwide. In the U.S., the most important sporting event is the Super Bowl—that’s undeniable. But I have no doubt that the final, God willing a great one, will exceed all expectations.”

He added that they are still selling advertising for the World Cup, although at both the national and local levels, “very little inventory remains.”

SUPER BOWL SETS AUDIENCE RECORD

Cancela said this year’s Super Bowl was a success for both Telemundo and NBC. “For Telemundo, this was the Super Bowl with the largest Spanish-speaking audience in the history of Super Bowls broadcast in Spanish,” he emphasized.

PUERTO RICO, A VERY SPECIAL PLACE

Cancela was also asked about Bad Bunny’s successful Super Bowl halftime performance.

“I think the moment when he called out every Latin American flag—you see reactions from people from countries that don’t usually take part in things like that, even in tears. When you watch that segment—I’ve seen it about six times—each time it gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes, because it was purposeful, very well thought out. That message of unity, of love, of ‘we’re here to stay and to contribute’—that carries a lot of weight,” he said.

Cancela said he considers himself Puerto Rican at heart. “Although I was born in Cuba, Puerto Rico embraced me and gave me a place to belong. To this day, Puerto Rico will always be very special to me. And Puerto Rico has given so much to the world, not just in music. The truth is, this young man (Bad Bunny), I compare him to Elvis Presley—what Elvis was in his time, breaking barriers. The Beatles broke barriers too. I see Benito, Bad Bunny, at that level. He has broken every mold globally. And that deserves recognition. And when you see how grounded he is, how uncontroversial he is, that says a lot. And his love for Puerto Rico says a lot about him,” he added.

SIX FAST CHANNELS BY YEAR-END

Another topic discussed with Cancela was the launch of FAST channels. He said that when he joined Telemundo Station Group, there were already four FAST channels, and by the end of the year there should be six.

“We just launched Puerto Rico in February. And we’re doing very well. We now have all Puerto Rican programming available in the U.S. And unlike our other FAST channels, which are news-driven, Telemundo Puerto Rico includes news but also a lot of entertainment. So it’s our first FAST channel that combines both,” he explained.

“The full lineup—more than 80 hours of programming produced in Puerto Rico—is now available on the Telemundo FAST channel called Telemundo Puerto Rico across the U.S. And soon we’ll launch a channel for the U.S. Southwest—Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah—expected by the end of this quarter or early next,” he said.

He noted that advertising sales for FAST channels are managed by Roku. “Roku makes the most of its FAST channels. On its platform, they have dozens and dozens of FAST channels,” he said.

He added that both Telemundo Station Group’s FAST channels and the network’s channels “perform extremely well, including the 24/7 Dr. Polo channel. There’s also Noticias Telemundo Ahora, a strong FAST news channel, and a FAST sports channel. There’s variety and content that resonates with audiences.”

LINEAR TV STILL REIGNS

Cancela emphasized that linear TV still dominates. “Linear TV, despite all the predictions, is still a powerful force. I don’t see it disappearing anytime soon. The more algorithms have taken over social and digital platforms, the more limited the reach has become. One of the few mediums that still delivers massive reach is linear TV.”

“If you think about it, when digital platforms started, algorithms weren’t as developed. Now they’re so aggressive that they shrink your world. TikTok, Instagram—all these platforms narrow your exposure. It becomes harder for advertisers and clients. Yes, targeting is more precise, but sometimes what you want is mass reach. And for that, there’s nothing more powerful than linear TV.”

CONTENT REMAINS KING

To conclude, Cancela said content remains the key driver. “There’s a saying in English: ‘content is king.’ Across all these technologies, we’re still here—and linear TV is still here, strong. We still call ourselves a TV channel, but we’re really a content production platform that distributes across both linear and digital.”

“We’re living in a moment where we have a front-row seat to see how technology can work in our favor. It’s fantastic. After decades in this business and many changes, this is the most exciting one. It gives me confidence that this industry has a future ahead, because it’s all built on content.”