Photo: AP.
Spain’s World Cup winners return home.
Did you read about the popularity of Spanish-language television during the World Cup games last summer? I thought it was interesting that so many English speakers who don’t understand any Spanish turned away from American soccer coverage. I thought I’d look into it.
Tim Reynolds and Obed Lamy wrote about this in July at the Associated Press.
“Ashleigh Hallam teaches English as a second language at her local library in Indiana. Soccer is now teaching her Spanish as a second language. …
“Hallam is among a sizable number of English-speaking people in the U.S. who are doing something these days that might be considered a bit surprising: They’re watching broadcasts of World Cup matches in Spanish on Telemundo, even though they have little idea — or in some cases, no idea — what the announcers are saying.
“ ‘I can’t really understand everything they’re saying on Telemundo because they’re speaking in Spanish,”’Hallam said. ‘But you understand what’s going on.’ …
“Census figures show that about 20% of the U.S. is Hispanic, yet Telemundo points to Nielsen ratings to show that roughly half the World Cup viewers in the U.S. have watched at least some portion of some matches in Spanish. Every match of the tournament has been available for U.S. viewers in English on Fox or FS1, on Telemundo or Universo in Spanish, and there are streaming options such as Fox One or Peacock.
“Among the reasons commonly cited by viewers who spoke with the Associated Press in recent days: A fascination with famed broadcaster Andrés Cantor’s ‘¡goooooool!’ call. Telemundo doesn’t cut away for commercials (as Fox does) during the much-maligned hydration breaks. The broadcasts, some simply find, are more entertaining. And in other cases, it’s a cost-based decision: Peacock, which includes Telemundo, is lower-priced than Fox One.
“Jackson Braunius is a Michigan native who watched a U.S. game last week from a bar seat at a steakhouse in Miami Lakes, Florida. He said he speaks almost no Spanish — ‘I know “cerveza, ” ‘he said, tapping his beer glass — but didn’t mind watching on Telemundo whatsoever.
“ ‘I figured out the science here,’ Braunius said. ‘When they’re not talking too loud, nothing is happening. When they get loud, there’s a chance. When they get real loud, it’s probably going to be a goal.’
“Comedian Trevor Noah has been hosting World Cup watch parties on YouTube. He’s made the switch to Spanish-language feeds, and the hydration break issue was a huge part of that decision.
“ ‘We’re seeing the players on the pitch discussing what’s happening. You see which coach is more stressed. Some players are tapping each other on the back. This is part of the game,’ Noah said on one of his YouTube streams. ‘I feel like when you cut to ads, you lose this — you lose the stress, you lose the joy, the anticipation. So, shout out again, Telemundo: Really, really amazing coverage.’
“Telemundo is hearing the praise, and has thanked English-speakers — as well as Noah directly — for lauding its coverage.
“The good news for everyone is this: There seems to be more than enough viewers to go around right now. And the success of this tournament could lead to a bidding war for the 2030 World Cup, with some reporting the rights for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking television will be packaged together in that deal. That wasn’t the case for this World Cup. …
“William Kennedy of Miami is married to a Colombian woman, whose native language is Spanish. He says he knows only enough Spanish to be able to order meals in restaurants. And yet, he finds himself often watching World Cup matches on Telemundo.
“If Colombia was on, the Kennedy house was watching Telemundo. If Colombia — which was ousted in penalty kicks by Switzerland on Tuesday — isn’t on, Kennedy finds himself usually making his way to Telemundo anyway.
“ ‘When the American commentators are doing the game, I don’t know what game they’re watching. I just don’t,’ Kennedy said. ‘I’d rather get the excitement in Spanish because essentially what happens is they’re talking, and then they’re talking really, really fast, and then they’re getting loud and your brain is just like, “Oh, something’s happening — even if I don’t know what’s happening.” ‘ “
More at AP, here.
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