4 weeks ago
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Spanish-language TV leader Telemundo will reflect the priorities of parent company NBCUniversal in the coming season by relying heavily on sports, including the 2026 World Cup, live events and specials to drive viewership.
Telemundo is promising advertisers that it will offer the most comprehensive coverage of a World Cup soccer competition to date when it arrives in the U.S. in summer 2026. The release noted that the 2025 tournament also marks the FIFA event’s “first-ever expanded format across 16 cities in the US, Mexico, and Canada including 48 teams, 39 days of competition and 104 matches,” per NBCU. Telemundo’s sports slate will grow next year with the return of the NBA to NBC.
At the same time Telemundo is still investing in a range of scripted dramas including Spanish-language adaptations of Turkish telenovela formats. The network has also maintained its “Super Series” franchise for dramas with elevated production values and smaller episode orders than the 160 or more that are the norm for novelas. Telemundo also courts U.S. Latino viewers with unscripted shows, from “La Casa De Los Famosos” (aka a Spanish-language variation of “Celebrity Big Brother”) and “Top Chef VIP.”
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises executives are heading to Radio City Music Hall in New York on Monday to present the company’s 2025-26 season programming plans to advertisers alongside other NBCU brands. Telemundo brands itself as “the network producing content specifically for Latinos in the U.S., by Latinos.” And it comes into the upfront with some swagger amid a strong run ratings-wise.
Telemundo has surpassed longtime rival Univision in primetime viewership (averaging 959,000 Monday-Sunday) and it has largest digital audience with 12.9 million average monthly unique users per Comscore Media Metrix. It also ranks as the No. 1 Spanish-language broadcast network on the media-verse’s two most ubiquitous streaming platforms: TikTok and YouTube.
“We are thrilled to unveil an unprecedented programming slate that will keep Latino audiences engaged across all platforms. Our viewers have responded by making Telemundo their preferred destination for entertainment, news and sports in Spanish in linear and streaming, and we will continue to make the necessary investments to deliver unparalleled reach,” said Luis Fernández, chairman of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises.
“From the coverage of the historic 2026 FIFA World Cup to our compelling realities, unforgettable dramas and essential breaking news, we are upping our commitment to serve Latinos with relevant content that attracts audiences at scale, no matter where or when they want to watch it. As we continue to innovate and double down on live programming and contemporary narratives, we remain dedicated to delivering premium stories and franchises that allow our clients to connect with this vibrant and growing community,” Fernández said.
Among the new Super Series dramas are “Dinastía Casillas,” a spinoff of a hugely successful crime drama “El Señor de los Cielos,” will involve some ongoing “El Señor” storylines and characters. Colombian actress María Fernanda Yepes will join Iván Arana and Isabella Castillo in the series.
“Bahar: Esencia de Mujer” is a Turkish novela adaptation about a woman who decides to go to medical school after a life-threatening illness. “Leyla,” also an adaptation of a Turkish format, is an evil-stepmother potboiler about a woman who is traumatized when her late mother’s caregiver becomes her father’s new wife.
Telemundo has access through NBC to holiday favorite specials such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Christmas in Rockefeller Center, not to mention NFL games. It also carries the Billboard Music Awards and Billboard Latin Women in Music events.
“With our unique connection to the full spectrum of Latinos, there’s nothing more American than watching Telemundo,” said Mónica Gil, executive VP and chief administrative officer and chief marketing officer.
(Pictured: “Dinastía Casillas” star Isabella Castillo)
English (US) ·