Reports: Fox Sports, Telemundo Win World Cup TV Rights

By R. Thomas Umstead
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

In a major surprise, Fox Sports and Telemundo have secured respective English and Spanish language rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup soccer tournaments, several news organizations reported today.

Sports Business Daily said Fox has gained FIFA U.S. media rights for 2015 to 2022, which includes the men's and women's World Cup events, beating out incumbent ESPN, which has held the rights since 2010. The next World Cup is in Brazil in 2014.

NBCUniversal-owned Spanish-language channel Telemundo scored FIFA's Spanish-language U.S. TV rights package for 2015-22, ousting current rights holder Univision, according to ESPN.com.

ESPN and Univision were widely expected to renew their respective rights to the world's biggest sports event.

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R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.