Telemundo's FIFA World Cup 2026 kickoff scored a goal of its own, shattering viewership records right from the start. The network's Spanish-language coverage of the opening game between host-nation Mexico and South Africa made history on multiple fronts. It was the most-watched FIFA World Cup opening game ever, regardless of language, and the most-watched men's game in Spanish-language television history.

Across Telemundo, Peacock and Telemundo Deportes' digital platforms, the match delivered a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 13.4 million viewers, a 229% increase over the tournament's opening game in 2022.

On linear television alone, Mexico v. South Africa averaged 7.6 million viewers, peaking at 9.3 million. It was the highest-rated telecast in Telemundo's history and the No. 1 program on Thursday, regardless of language.

Streaming Delivers

Telemundo's bet on digital and streaming for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is already paying off.

That figure is even more striking given that Qatar was itself a streaming milestone. Argentina v. Mexico during the 2022 group stage became the most-streamed FIFA World Cup match in U.S. media history, regardless of language, drawing an AMA of 2.08 million viewers. The 2026 opening game more than doubled it.

That growth validates Telemundo's approach. Going into 2026, the network had already identified the rise of the "Super Streamer" – highly mobile, digitally savvy Hispanic consumers watching across multiple devices simultaneously – as the driving force behind its multiplatform strategy.

The network built a full digital ecosystem around its broadcast coverage, spanning an interactive World Cup Hub on Peacock, social watch parties, a nightly digital show targeting Gen Z audiences and immersive features including Dolby Vision HDR and Visión de Campo, a first-of-its-kind vertical camera experience. Day one proved the bet was right.

Over the first two matches of day one, Mexico v. South Africa and South Korea v. Czechia, Telemundo, Peacock and Telemundo's streaming platforms combined for a TAD of 10 million viewers, nearly triple the first two-game average from the 2022 tournament.

Telemundo's Record-Setting Coverage Extends to Team USA

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony averaged 3.1 million viewers on linear, the best performance for an opening ceremony since 2014 and a 235% increase from 2022.

When combined with all complementary World Cup programming beginning at 8 a.m. on June 11, Telemundo delivered its most-watched day ever on linear television, averaging 2.6 million viewers in total day.

The records kept falling beyond opening day. Preliminary numbers for the United States v. Paraguay match show Telemundo, Peacock and Telemundo's streaming platforms drawing 8.9 million viewers, according to Telemundo data.

That total made it the most-watched Team USA FIFA World Cup match ever on Spanish-language television and the most-watched FIFA World Cup group stage match not featuring Mexico in Spanish-language TV history. It also represents a 156% increase over Team USA's first group stage match in 2022, when the opener against Wales drew 3.5 million viewers.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com