It wasn’t the home for play-by-play action of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which saw matches air on Telemundo. And, those matches aired during the third quarter. Yet, TelevisaUnivision CEO Daniel Alegre says the “solid” Q2 2026 results seen by the company operating in the U.S. and Mexico were driven “by the record-breaking success of our FIFA World Cup coverage.”
The statement is an odd one for Alegre, who continued by saying, “The tournament reinforced why soccer is a cornerstone of our strategy and why we are the ‘Home of Soccer’ for Hispanics. Sports, together with our continued investments in live events and premium entertainment, ensure that we remain the destination for culturally relevant moments that matter. Combined with our unique connection to our audience and the importance of our platforms heading into the U.S. election cycle, this momentum positions us well to drive sustained profitability while creating even greater value for our audiences, advertisers, and partners.”
Yet, the lone link between the World Cup and TelevisaUnivision in the U.S. goes through Andres Cantor’s Futbol de Primera (FDP) Radio, which signed an agreement with Uforia-branded radio stations to bring audio coverage to TelevisaUnivision radio stations in Dallas, New York, Chicago and Houston. In key markets such as Miami, Actualidad Radio Group held the FDP contract.
The statement is tied to Mexico, and that helped bring a 23% year-over-year ad dollar bump.
Regardless of the actual World Cup influence on TelevisaUnivision in Q2, one thing can be said: year-over-year performance was up, but largely due to subscription and licensing gains in Mexico. In the U.S., advertising revenue tumbled by 29%.
Indeed, TelevisaUnivision said, “In the U.S., advertising revenue decreased 29% to $323 million reflecting cyclical softness in our business from competitive sports programming. In Mexico, advertising revenue increased 23% to $353 million driven by the FIFA World Cup.”
