Telemundo Sets Weekday Ratings Record with Mexico-Brazil World Cup Match

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

Filipe Luis of Brazil in action during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Brazil and Mexico at Samara Arena on July 2, 2018, in Samara, Russia

Filipe Luis of Brazil in action during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Brazil and Mexico at Samara Arena on July 2, 2018, in Samara, Russia

Telemundo Deportes scored a weekday daytime ratings record Monday afternoon with its coverage of the Mexico-Brazil World Cup Round of 16 tournament game.

The contest, won by Brazil to advance into the international soccer tournament’s quarterfinal round, drew a total audience average of 5.5 million viewers across Telemundo, TelemundoDeportes.com, Telemundo En Vivo and NBC Sports apps, according to Nielsen live plus same day fast national ratings and Adobe Analytics digital data. The TV audience was 5 million during the two-hour match window and 4.4 million for the 9:30-noon ET full coverage, per Nielsen.

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Mexico-Brazil ranks as Telemundo Deportes’ third-most watched match of the tournament, trailing only the two weekend Mexico matches in the Group Stage, according to the network.

Through 54 matches, Telemundo Deportes’ World Cup presentation has reached 32.8 million viewers, according to the Spanish-language network.

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The ratings come on the heels of the Telemundo Deportes announcement Monday that it has teamed with South America soccer ruling body Conmebol to secure U.S. Spanish-language TV rights for the 46 Copa America international men’s soccer championship.

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.