World Cup: Telemundo Ready For Kickoff In First Year Of Rights Deal

NBCUniversal’s Telemundo Deportes today outlined its coverage plans for the 2018 World Cup. The U.S.’ exclusive Spanish-language broadcaster for the tournament has put together a massive operation ahead of Thursday’s kickoff. It will offer more than 1,500 hours of coverage from Russia across all platforms, including more than 500 hours on TV and over 1,000 hours across digital, including the live-streaming of all 64 games (see schedule below).

This is the first year Telemundo has had exclusive rights and it’s put more than 500 employees on the ground in Russia, where seven production studios will be set in iconic locations such as Red Square and Gorki Park.

On a conference call today, Telemundo Deportes president Ray Warren said he wanted not just to be “World Cup ready” but “World Cup great” and that his wish has been achieved. “This will be the highest quality and most consumed and talked about World Cup ever,” he said, noting it would be transformative for Telemundo. “There will be a Telemundo before the World Cup and after the World Cup.”

For the coverage, there will be 37 cameras, including FIFA pool feed cameras and Telemundo exclusive cameras. Fifty-six live matches will air on Telemundo and eight on Universo; the latter will also carry all 64 encore presentations. Each will be live on Telemundo Deportes En Vivo and NBC Sports apps (in Spanish). There are also partnerships with Google and YouTube for clips and highlights in the U.S.

More than 20 play-by-play voices (including Andres Cantor), game analysts, soccer experts and correspondents will also be on hand. (The coverage will feature at least one other rarity: NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo’s broadcast of Sunday’s Brazil-Switzerland game will be shown on U.S. cable network NBCSN, though Fox holds the English-language U.S. rights to the World Cup and is airing the games on its Fox and Fox Sports 1 networks.)

Beginning tomorrow, Telemundo’s Un Nuevo Día program is joining the coverage with 32 consecutive days of special programming titled “Somos Fans Como Tu” (We Are Fans Like You), featuring all the information on the world’s largest sports event with broadcasts from Moscow and the various Russian host cities.

Coverage starts Wednesday with a two-hour World Cup preview at 7 PM ET on Telemundo. On Thursday, pre-game coverage for the opening between Russia and Saudi Arabia begins at 8 AM ET.

During the last week of the group stage, from Monday, June 25 through Thursday, June 28, when there are games being played simultaneously in each group, both games will air live simultaneously on Telemundo and Universo. Live coverage will begin with the pre-game show at 9 AM ET, and continue through the conclusion of each game at approximately 4 PM ET.

Universo will carry encore presentations of each day’s games beginning at 5 PM ET every day from Friday, June 15 through Sunday, June 24. During the last week of the group stage, encores will begin at 4:30 PM ET. For the round of 16 and through the final, encore presentations will air each night beginning at 8 PM ET.

Here’s the schedule of where to watch; coverage begins a half hour earlier than the match start times below (all ET):

GROUP PLAY

Thursday, June 14

11 AM – Russia vs Saudi Arabia (Group 1), Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Friday, June 15

8 AM – Egypt vs Uruguay (Group A), Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – Morocco vs Iran (Group B), St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Portugal vs Spain (Group B), Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Saturday, June 16

6 AM – France vs Australia (Group C), Kazan Arena, Kazan, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
9 AM – Argentina vs Iceland (Group D, Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
12 Noon – Peru vs Denmark (Group C), Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
3 PM – Croatia vs Nigeria (Group D), Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Sunday, June 17

8 AM – Costa Rica vs Serbia (Group E), Samara Arena, Samara, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11:00 AM – Germany vs Mexico (Group F), Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App, NBCSN
2 PM – Brazil vs Switzerland (Group E), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Monday, June 18

8 AM – Sweden vs Korea Republic (Group F), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – Belgium vs Panama (Group G), Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Tunisia vs England (Group G), Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Tuesday, June 19

8 AM – Colombia vs Japan (Group H), Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – Poland vs Senegal (Group H), Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Russia vs Egypt (Group A), St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Wednesday, June 20

8 AM – Portugal vs Morocco (Group B), Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia (Group A), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Iran vs Spain (Group B), Kazan Arena, Kazan, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Thursday, June 21

8 AM – Denmark vs Australia (Group C), Samara Arena, Samara, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – France vs Peru (Group C), Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Argentina vs Croatia (Group D), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Friday, June 22

8 AM – Brazil vs Costa Rica (Group E), St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – Nigeria vs Iceland (Group D), Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Serbia vs Switzerland (Group E), Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Saturday, June 23

8 AM – Belgium vs Tunisia (Group G), Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – Korea Republic vs Mexico (Group F), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Germany vs Sweden (Group F), Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Sunday, June 24

8 AM – England vs Panama (Group G), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
11 AM – Japan vs Senegal (Group H), Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Poland vs Colombia (Group H), Kazan Arena, Kazan, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Monday, June 25

10 AM – Group A: Uruguay vs Russia, Samara Arena, Samara, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Saudi Arabia vs Egypt, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group B: Iran vs Portugal, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Spain vs Morocco Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Tuesday, June 26

10 AM – Group C: Denmark vs France, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Australia vs Peru, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group D: Nigeria vs Argentina, St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Iceland vs Croatia, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Wednesday, June 27

10 AM – Group F: Mexico vs Sweden, Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Korea Republic vs Germany, Kazan Arena, Kazan, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group E: Serbia vs Brazil, Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Switzerland vs Costa, Rica Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod; Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Thursday, June 28

10 AM – Group H: Senegal vs Colombia, Samara Arena, Samara, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Japan vs Poland, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group G: England vs Belgium, Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App; Panama vs Tunisia, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

ROUND OF 16

Saturday, June 30

10 AM – Group C1 vs Group 2D, Kazan Arena, Kazan, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group A1 vs Group B2, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Sunday, July 1

10 AM – Group B1 vs Group A2, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group D1 vs Group C2, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Monday, July 2

10 AM – Group E1 vs. Group F2, Samara Arena, Samara, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group G1 vs. Group H2, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Tuesday, July 3

10 AM – Group F1 vs Group E2, St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – Group H1 vs Group G2, Spartak Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

QUARTERFINALS

Friday, July 6

10 AM – A1-B2 Winner vs C1-D2 Winner, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – E1-F2 Winner vs G1-H2 Winner, Kazan Arena, Kazan, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Saturday, July 7

10 AM – E2-F1 Winner vs G2-H1 Winner, Samara Arena, Samara, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App
2 PM – A2-B1 Winner vs. C2-D1 Winner, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

SEMIFINALS

Tuesday, July 10

A1-B2-C1-D2 Winner vs E1-F2-G1-H2 Winner, St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

Wednesday, July 11

A2-B1-C2-D1 Winner vs. E2-F1-G2-H1 Winner, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

THIRD-PLACE MATCH

Saturday, July 14

10 AM – St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

FINAL

Sunday, July 15

11 AM – Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App

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