Telemundo Launches Tplus on Peacock in Sync with Exclusive Coverage of the World Cup in Qatar This Fall

This fall, NBCUniversal’s Telemundo is launching Tplus on Peacock just in time for its exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the World Cup in Qatar. Tplus will be available on the premium tier of Peacock, which costs $5 a month with ads and $10 without.

Telemundo has exclusive Spanish-language rights to the World Cup and will stream all matches in Qatar on Peacock. The tournament will be in November and December, rather than the typical summer berth as a modification to the extreme heat of the Persian Gulf region.

Soccer has proven to be a key driver for Peacock subscriptions, with Premier League matches accounting for many Premium accounts. The last we heard from NBCU parent Comcast was last summer when Peacock had a total of 54 million sign-ups and 20 million active accounts. NBC confirmed in November 2021, a new six-year rights extension will see England’s Premier League remain on NBC’s linear and digital platforms until 2028. The World Cup, like the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl LVI, will offer an opportunity to gain more viewership in light of these specific events.

Although the Tplus titles will represent a small portion of Telemundo’s overall programming, it will increase to about half in 2023 and 80% by 2024. However, executives say that Tplus existing as a stand-alone offering isn’t in the cards anytime soon.

Competition is growing as Telemundo rival Univision is soon launching a streaming service later this year, with a free and paid subscription. Also, Netflix and others have recognized the need for Spanish-language content in the U.S.

Telemundo sees Tplus filling a gap that is more than just about language. Studies have shown that the demand for Latinx characters exceeds the supply that Hollywood provides. They are the most underrepresented comprising only 4% of characters, despite representing nearly 19% of the U.S. population. Plus, Latino audiences make up 50% or more among shows that center on Hispanic storylines.

Beau Ferrari, Chairman, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises wants to change this. “As the #1 producer of scripted Spanish-language content in the U.S., we are tapping into our deep production expertise and understanding of our audience to launch Tplus, the first and only content brand at scale focused on serving US Hispanics who feel 100% Latino and 100% American,” he said. “We are proud to partner with our colleagues at Peacock to unveil this innovative streaming offering and provide culturally-relevant entertainment, news, and sports to reach the widest Hispanic audience possible across language, across genres, and across platforms.”

“The Tplus titles we introduced today – along with many more in the pipeline – will resonate with diverse audiences who live their lives across language, countries, and cultures but always want to see the best stories come to life on screen,” Romina Rosado, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Hispanic Streaming, NBC Universal Telemundo Enterprises added. “Our unique connection with the wide range of U.S. Hispanic viewers, coupled with increased streaming consumption of more diverse, multilingual content, and Peacock’s scale will quickly position Tplus as the go-to destination for best-in-class Hispanic content.”

“By tapping into the expertise of our partners at Telemundo, we will provide customers with bold new originals, must-stream beloved franchises, and the biggest live sporting events that complement Peacock’s massive library of original, current, and classic movies and shows, as well as the best live news and sports, all in one place,” said Matt Strauss, Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer, and International.

Telemundo announced a first-look development deal with Bianca Quesada’s production company ARCUS Studios, which is also committed to “expanding the aperture of the Latina)e)o)x narrative.” Programming on Tplus will range from scripted drama to unscripted projects and docuseries. Additionally, the company announced today that Telemundo-owned stations would be releasing their own local news streaming channels later in the year to appease its Spanish-dominant and bilingual local audiences in New York, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, and Miami.

What Will Be Available On Tplus?

• Mysteries & Scandals (working title): docuseries developed with A3, Stephan Land’s production company that is known for its franchises like “Snapped,” “American Murder Mystery,” and “Fatal Attraction.”
• Young at Heart: three middle-aged Latino couples in LA are granted the chance of a lifetime. They have the opportunity to swap their current partners and spend a month with much younger ones. This social and psychological experiment will show audiences if the original couples opt to remain together, for better or worse, or risk living alone or with a sexy new spouse.
• Pulsaciones: Alex, Spain’s greatest surgeon, undergoes a transplant of his own. As a result, he is somehow able to see his donor’s memories and decides to investigate the causes of his donor’s death.
• Messi: the documentary film directed by Alex de la Iglesia that follows the life of sports icon Lionel Messi.
• La Formula: A scientist discovers the elixir of youth and reunites with her high school sweetheart. This prompts her to test the formula on herself, becoming 30 years younger again.
• Promesas de Campaña: When presidential favorite, Gregorio Cuartas, suffers a medical emergency, his team is forced to replace him in order to continue his campaign. They find a body double, Leopoldo Chica, a taxi driver who is thrust into a foreign world.
• Cruzando Limites: – the medical series features Tosca Navarro, a psychiatrist that treats adolescents with mental disorders. However, Tosca has a secret past where she was diagnosed with a personality disorder and schizophrenia as a teen. Tosca has to think outside the box to quickly save her patients.
• Armas de Mujer: a new dramedy series about four women that join forces after the police arrest their husbands for belonging to the same criminal organization. The women move from a life of abundant luxury to just trying to survive.
• Gente Sana: Award-winning global music icon J Balvin shares candid revelations in a six-part docu-series about his journey towards mental wellness. The Colombian-born artist visits the homes of his closest friends, allowing viewers into an exclusive and intimate look at the backstories that shaped their lives.