World Cup audience lifts Peacock’s Spanish-language strategy

NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup gave Peacock a subscriber and engagement lift, executives at the company said, as the tournament delivered record U.S. soccer audiences and stronger advertising revenue. The final drew nearly 39 million viewers across Fox’s broadcast and streaming outlets and about 24 million across Telemundo, Peacock and other NBCUniversal properties, according to Nielsen figures cited by Fox and NBCUniversal.

Telemundo held the U.S. Spanish-language rights to the tournament, while Fox held the English-language rights. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19, according to match information cited by Getty Images.

For NBCUniversal, the tournament functioned as both a live-sports event and a customer acquisition channel for Peacock. Telemundo and Peacock averaged 6.3 million viewers across 104 matches, according to NBCUniversal. Mark Marshall, chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, said tournament revenue more than doubled from 2022, the previous World Cup carried by Telemundo and Peacock.

Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, which includes Telemundo, said the World Cup brought new audiences and subscribers to Peacock and exposed them to other programming on the service. Conde also cited features including multiview and trivia as ways Peacock changed how viewers used the coverage.

Peacock had 46 million subscribers as of April 30, according to Comcast’s previously reported first-quarter figures, and was expected to reach profitability in the second quarter. Comcast, which said on June 29 that it plans to spin off NBCUniversal, is scheduled to report earnings on Thursday.

Sports rights remain central to Peacock

Live sports have been a major part of Peacock’s growth plan. NBCUniversal began airing NBA games in 2025, and Olympic coverage has expanded on the platform, with events, related programming and additional content available through the service.

Telemundo has also added sports rights. This week, it announced an agreement for exclusive U.S. Spanish-language rights to UEFA men’s club competitions, including the Champions League, starting with the 2027-28 season.

Conde said the World Cup showed that viewers move between linear television and streaming and are also willing to move across language feeds when the coverage feels relevant to them. Peacock first streamed the World Cup in Spanish in 2022. In 2026, it faced added streaming competition because Fox also made matches available through its Fox One service.

FIFA is likely to sell U.S. English- and Spanish-language rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups together, CNBC has reported. Lee Berke, chief executive of LHB Sports, Entertainment & Media, told CNBC that combining the rights would reflect overlap in viewing, especially when both feeds are distributed by streaming. CNBC has reported that each of the next tournaments is expected to command between $1.5 billion and $2 billion.

Spanish-language viewing expands beyond football

NBCUniversal executives said the World Cup gains fit a wider shift in Peacock viewing. Marshall said advertisers are increasingly treating Spanish-language audiences as central to media plans, citing a Hispanic consumer cohort with about $4 trillion in spending power.

Nielsen said in a 2025 report that Hispanic consumers account for about 20% of the U.S. population and more than $4.1 trillion in purchasing power. Stacie de Armas, Nielsen’s head of inclusive content and insights, said Hispanic consumers are a strong demographic for brands that approach them with authenticity and insight.

NBCUniversal is also testing whether English-language viewers will watch Telemundo programming on Peacock. Ahead of the July 7 premiere of Season 10 of “El Señor de los Cielos,” Telemundo and Peacock ran English-language advertising with English subtitles directing viewers to earlier seasons. Marshall said English-subtitle viewing rose 42%, English-dominant viewing increased to 25% from 9%, and new-to-Telemundo viewers for prior seasons rose to 39% from 22%.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.