FOX Sports face challenges in its World Cup schedule, according to Telemundo Deportes President Ray Warren.
Speaking exclusively to World Soccer Talk, Warren shared Telemundo’s initial coverage plans, as well as contrasting them with rival FOX Sports. Overall, as the exclusive home of the World Cup in Spanish-language, Warren is pleased with how the FIFA World Cup Draw turned out, particularly for Spanish-language audiences.
“We love the draw. We love the timing of the games,” said Warren.
A weekend of huge World Cup matches
Throughout the Group Stage, Telemundo has several games that are of particular interest to Spanish-language viewers. For example, these include three major ones across the four-day Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend:
Brazil-Serbia (Thanksgiving Day, 2PM ET)
USA-England (November 25, 2PM ET)
Argentina-Mexico (November 26, 2PM ET)
On Thanksgiving Day, Telemundo Deportes are expecting a huge day of sports. They’ll have four World Cup matches featuring Portugal-Ghana, Brazil-Serbia and Uruguay-South Korea, as well as Switzerland-Cameroon. After the Brazil-Serbia game ends around 4PM ET, there’ll be an hour of post-match coverage followed by the news. And the broadcast will then lead into NFL Thursday night football.
Warren explained how that gives Telemundo advantages on the long Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend:
“There’s a couple of places where FOX may be stuck. The Argentina-Mexico game will conflict with their football product. I don’t know what they’ll do. They might move the football game. Looking at it straight up, Argentina-Mexico may have to go on FS1.”
Pluses of Telemundo’s coverage
Warren is confident about his network’s coverage ahead of World Cup 2022. In its plans, he sees several benefits of watching the World Cup on Telemundo. These include:
First, Telemundo will have more games on over-the-air television than FOX Sports. Second, Telemundo will have commentators calling every game live from within the stadium. Third, Telemundo sees an increase in the number of pundits including more former players and referees, and more women. Fourth, 56 games live on Telemundo with no conflicts with other sports (unlike FOX Sports). Fifth, 8 games on Universo (in the Group Stage when there are simultaneous kickoffs). Sixth and finally, 1 hour post-game show every day after the 2-4PM ET match ends.
Telemundo’s motto is “es mejor en Español,” which translates to “it’s better in Spanish.” Warren and his fellow executives will be hoping that viewers will see that for themselves when the World Cup begins on November 21.
