Topline:
Need some good recommendations for new television shows? We're here to help.
This week's picks: Our TV critics weigh in on Muscles & Mayhem, The Horror of Dolores Roach andThe Lincoln Lawyer, Season 2
Trivia fact: Muscles & Mayhem gives you a personal glimpse into the hit 90's show American Gladiator through the eyes of the stars on your screen back then.
It’s both a blessing and a curse that we’ve reached a time where there’s just so much television to experience but so many different places to find it. It makes scrolling across your streamer of choice an inconvenience that doesn’t offer as much of a payoff if you try a show half-heartedly and are disappointed.
That’s where I and some friends step in as a Deus-ex-machina of sorts, a way for you to resolve that inner conflict of what to choose and make sure it’s something worth investing in.
On LAist 89.3’s AirTalk, we bring television critics every week to give you a rundown of those shows that are fresh out of the oven. They’ll serve you a taste of what to expect and from there, you can choose whether or not you want to eat the rest.
Along with that, I’ll add to their topline thoughts and give some insights based on my experience watching the show. I may not have TV critic as my title but I got enough knowledge as a fan of film and television to at least give you an informed perspective. And as a member of Gen-Z, I’ll be able to add an extra filter you might get from someone on Twitter but with much less toxicity tied to it.
Sound good? Are you hungry now? Well while you wait for your food to be ready to eat, read through what we got to tell you.
This week, AirTalk’s Larry Mantle talked about the latest on television and streaming with Eric Deggans, TV critic for NPR, andLiz Shannon Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence.
This week’s shows included:
Streaming on Netflix
"It's all, it's a fascinating kind of gossipy deep dive into a real cultural phenomenon that not enough people remember...and the performers [are] pretty charismatic even today, decades later." — Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
First impression: The story of the hit reality TV show American Gladiator, through the eyes of those who starred in the show. It brings together both the troubling past of the show but also adding personal testimony as to how the show did provide some good for those involved.
Lasting impression: I think folks will definitely come out of the show feeling both entertained and informed. The docu-series pulls together compelling interviews, engaging animation, and a topic that lends itself to a lot of memorable sound and B-roll.
The 90s were a time that most adults can look back to in some capacity, even as a late 90s kid myself, I recall watching re-runs of shows like American Gladiator that we now view as problematic due to labor conditions and the lifestyle they implicitly promoted.
What makes this stand out as a documentary is the openness of stars like Zap, Nitro, and Virgo, talking about their drug use at the time and the physical toll the show took on them. You really feel for a fair amount of these folks but it’s interesting to also see how fondly they look back. It’s the toll of demanding work that I’m sure will keep many folks interested in the show, because even if you aren’t built like the folks on screen you sure have adversity that you’ve had to manage.
Who's behind it: The folks who directed and executive produced this docu-series are Jared Hess & Tony Vainuku. Hess’s most notable credit is as the director/writer for a couple of 2000s classics, the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite and the 2006 film Nacho Libre.
Vainuku’s credits are all in the documentary world, having worked previously with Netflix on Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist, which told the life and career of Manti Te'o, who found himself in headlines due to being catfished online.
When and where: All five episodes are streaming now on Netflix.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
"I'm not usually a fan of true crime stories. I'm not usually a fan of stories with plot connectivity to Sweeney Todd...but [this is] a really fun, off-kilter [show that] takes on all genres." — Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
First impression: Dolores is a person who’s down in her luck, covering for a boyfriend of hers to the point of going to jail, only to get thrust back into society with no support system 16 years later. It’s then that horror ensues, including murder, cannibalism and popularity as a result of true crime fanatics.
Lasting impression: The show is an interesting project that takes advantage of folks’ obsessions with true crimes and manages to bake in the reality of mass incarceration in the world we live in today. Within it, you’ll find humor and a cast of characters you’ll find in contemporary Washington Heights.
Although this is a New York-centric story, I think you’ll get a whole lot out of it as an Angeleno and Californian, with the topics it delves into being familiar for plenty of folks here. It tells one outcome of the incarceration process, which Californians should know about considering the state ranks 2nd in having the most prisoners, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2021. Whether it be due to the length of time or lack of support, a lot of folks can have trouble acclimating back to society and supporting themselves, which is what the show is attempting to depict.
This then brings us to the issue of gentrification, which can make it difficult for some to be acclimated, seeing some of your community get pushed out by developers and in the process making it harder for you to reconnect with them. The Urban Displacement Project detailed a 16% increase in gentrification in Los Angeles County from 1990 to 2015. So although this story isn’t going to perfectly apply to every incarcerated person in Los Angeles County, it at least offers a perspective in media that previously was left unnoticed.
Who's behind it: The creator of the show is Aaron Mark, who was the same person who developed the podcast and play Empanada Loca, which would later become this Amazon Prime Video show.
He doesn’t have many credits but he did previously serve as a consulting producer for Season 2, episode 10 of the Hulu show Into the Dark. Into The Dark was a show under Blumhouse Production’s television branch, who are also the folks who helped with The Horror of Dolores Roach.
When and where: All eight episodes are streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
Streaming on Netflix
"I feel like it's just a slightly elevated version of the kind of legal drama/thriller that we might see on broadcast television or even on cable... it's not necessarily gonna revolutionize television, but it's a nice little example of an entertaining show." — Eric Deggans, NPR
"There's a lightness to it that I think some procedurals can sometimes overlook, but the characters [here] are fun and poppy." — Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
First impression: Mickey Haller is back, dealing with a lot of fallout resulting from Season 1 of the show, trying to balance his interests as a public defender with his newfound celebrity after winning a high-profile case. Yet, it’s through his success that he makes enemies, one of which is a man who seeks Mickey out with malicious intent– could it be to ruin his career or take his life?
Lasting impression: The show is a result of book author Michael Connelly, whose detective novels include The Brass Verdict and The Lincoln Lawyer, which are the original works that depicted Mickey Haller before the likes of Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Matthew McConaughey brought him to life.
The charisma McConaughey brought to the 2011 film The Lincoln Lawyer might not be the same as Garcia-Rulfo’s television version, but getting to see this new version of the role is great in its own right. Seeing Mickey’s development on-screen is the kind of story that’ll seem familiar to many people who enjoy noir and true crime, but to me that familiarity is the narrative equivalent of your favorite blanket.
Who's behind it: The credited creator of the show is David Kelley, who created and produced Doogie Howser, M.D. back in 1989. Most recently, he’s not only worked on this Netflix adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer but he also created the recent adaptation of Love & Death on Max.
When and where: Episodes 1-5 are streaming now on Netflix; episodes 6-10 (Part 2) release Aug. 3
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Tthe state-funded Cal-Bridge program is helping diverse students pursue their dreams of landing a doctorate in the sciences and joining the next generation of STEM professors. The program provides financial support, research opportunities and diverse mentors of similar backgrounds.
The background: Cal-Bridge was founded in 2014 to help undergraduates at Cal State campuses pursue a doctorate in STEM in partnership with the University of California, helping to close the diversity gap in science fields. About 70% of the program’s 406 students have been admitted to doctorate programs. Three quarters of the program’s students are of color, almost half are women, and nearly two-thirds are first generation.
The context: Studies have noted that the climate of STEM higher education programs is often unwelcoming for some minority populations. Women make up over half of the undergraduate student population at Cal State campuses, yet account for only 36% of the system’s STEM students. At UC campuses, only 24% of STEM undergraduates are Latino or Hispanic, 4% are African American and 1% are American Indian.
Why it matters: From Cal-Bridge’s first cohort of five undergraduate students, the program has grown to support about 60 each year. It has expanded from astronomy and physics to now include computer science and math. Students in the program can receive stipends, tuition assistance, mentorship and professional development.
For Tré Willingham, pursuing a doctorate degree at UC Irvine has felt isolating at times. Often the only Black student in his science classes, he recalls being the last one to be chosen when activities required a lab partner. He also has never had a Black professor.
“It’s very disheartening to never see anyone that looks like you,” said Willingham, who studies applied physics. “It makes it hard to believe that you can get there, and especially get there and actually be yourself.”
For Willingham and students like him, the state-funded Cal-Bridge program is helping them pursue their dreams of landing a doctorate in the sciences and joining the next generation of STEM professors. The program provides financial support, research opportunities and diverse mentors of similar backgrounds.
Such mentors make “it much easier to start to navigate these spaces and also believe that you can get to the other end,” Willingham said.
Cal-Bridge was founded in 2014 to help undergraduates at Cal State campuses pursue a doctorate in STEM in partnership with the University of California, helping to close the diversity gap in science fields. About 70% of the program’s 406 students have been admitted to doctorate programs. Three quarters of the program’s students are of color, almost half are women, and nearly two-thirds are first generation.
Studies have noted that the climate of STEM higher education programs is often unwelcoming for some minority populations. Women make up over half of the undergraduate student population at Cal State campuses, yet account for only 36% of the system’s STEM students. At UC campuses, only 24% of STEM undergraduates are Latino or Hispanic, 4% are African American and 1% are American Indian.
From Cal-Bridge’s first cohort of five undergraduate students, the program has grown to support about 60 each year. It has expanded from astronomy and physics to now include computer science and math. Students in the program can receive stipends, tuition assistance, mentorship and professional development.
But the journey to diversifying the STEM teaching field is very long.
So far, 15 Cal-Bridge participants have earned a doctorate. It takes students about eight years after joining Cal-Bridge, usually done during their junior year, to complete a doctorate — two years as an undergraduate and six years to complete their doctorate education.
“It’s only been 12 years since we started, so only this small group is getting their Ph.D. right now,” said Dr. Alexander Rudolph, Cal-Bridge’s executive director and founder. “But eventually we expect there to be more like 30 to 40 to 50 a year getting their Ph.Ds.”
The state Legislature has given $14 million over recent years to the program, which also has a sliver left over from an older National Science Foundation grant.
The program might also get a helpful boost in the Legislature as California pushes back against federal efforts targeting university equity initiatives.
Democratic Assemblymember David Alvarez of Chula Vista introduced Assembly Bill 2660 in April to codify Cal-Bridge as a coordinated partnership between community colleges, Cal State universities and University of California campuses. Rudolph hopes that will help secure annual or multi-year funding for Cal-Bridge in lieu of making requests each year.
Alvarez told CalMatters that as the federal administration cut back on student loans and grants for Hispanic-Serving Institutions, California should do more to support its students.
“The lack of representation from first-generation students in the Ph.D. level of education speaks for itself,” said Alvarez. “We need to do something in California to demonstrate that we still believe that we have strength in diversity of our Ph.Ds, of our academia, and this (Assembly bill) is one way to try.”
Willingham, the UC Irvine student, hadn’t considered pursuing a doctorate earlier in his life. Now 31, the first-generation scholar is pursuing his doctorate with the goal of one day becoming a professor.
“No one around me was a doctor of anything,” said Willingham about his family and friends growing up.
Willingham grew up in Littleton, Colorado where he attended Columbine High School. After high school, his father, who had served in the Air Force, and Willingham moved to Atlanta. In 2017, he moved to California where he began his higher education journey. He is now the father of two children, ages 12 and two, balancing family time with his studies.
Today, Willingham’s research focuses on creating new quantum materials and exploring how they could be used in future sensors and electronic devices.
Cal-Bridge has four programs: undergraduate, summer research, doctoral and postdoctoral. The undergraduate program is open to STEM students at Cal State campuses and community college students who plan to transfer to a Cal State. It receives up to 100 applications per year; about 60 students were accepted this past year.
Willingham attended El Camino College and Compton College simultaneously to finish his associate degree quickly, then joined Cal-Bridge’s undergraduate program after transferring to Cal Poly Pomona. There, the program gave him $10,000 during each of his junior and senior years, which helped him get a car to commute to school from Los Angeles and stay focused by working fewer hours as a tutor.
“I was able to just sort of focus my attention a little better, not having to always think about how I’m going to pay the next bill,” said Willingham.
Later in Cal-Bridge’s doctoral program, Willingham received $40,000 in financial support for his first year of graduate school at UC Irvine. He used $16,000 to pay his tuition and the rest for living expenses.
It took Dr. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly, a Cal-Bridge alum, 13 years to become a research faculty member. She is now an astrophysics assistant professor at Cal State San Bernardino.
Wimberly researches near-field cosmology, studying neighboring galaxies that may be some of the first ever formed.
“It’s almost like galactic archaeology, like I’m looking at these little almost-fossil galaxies to learn more about the early universe and where everything came from,” said Wimberly.
She is also now the director of mentorship for Cal-Bridge. During her junior year as an undergraduate, she joined Cal-Bridge’s first cohort, helping her imagine what being an astronomer would be like.
The mentors and the program’s monthly workshops showed her that while she didn’t see many Latina women like her teaching STEM on her campus, she could do it. When she was an undergraduate at Cal State Long Beach, she said, there were only two women professors from about 20 faculty in her department, and none of them Black or Latino.
Cal-Bridge provided Latino mentors she wasn’t finding anywhere else.
“It wasn’t like they were teaching me in a classroom, but they did kind of provide that cultural and kind of identity support,” said Wimberly.
Wimberly had applied to 11 doctorate programs as a senior undergraduate and was denied by all of them. Next, she applied and was accepted to Cal State Long Beach to pursue a master’s in physics. There, she raised her GPA, reapplied to doctorate programs and was accepted to UC Irvine. She graduated in 2021 with her doctorate in physics.
At UC Irvine, Wimberly created a peer mentorship program for Cal-Bridge students as a way for alumni and graduate students of the program to support the undergraduate students. Mentors and mentees meet in small groups once a month, as well as have one-on-one meetings.
“I structured it in a way to be more like, this is just your older cousin that’s telling you how to get through things,” Wimberly said.
After she finished her doctorate, she had a three-year, full-time fellowship with the National Science Foundation. She served at UC Riverside with her former mentor, Laura Sales, an astronomer from Argentina and associate professor at the university.
Learning from Sales made her feel more comfortable embracing her identity as a Latina. Sales taught her that she didn’t have to be an expert in all areas of astronomy, but that she would work alongside experts in different areas.
Now as a professor herself for the last three years at Cal State San Bernardino, Wimberly offers the same mentorship to her students. Anytime she sees a Latina student who doesn’t have support from someone with a similar background, she tries to provide that support.
“Just because I know it can be so difficult,” said Wimberly.
Claire Rogers, a student at UC Irvine pursuing a doctorate in physics, knew she wanted to attend graduate school, but she didn’t realize how isolating the experience would be as the only woman in the room. She is a Cal-Bridge doctorate scholar researching observational astrophysics, looking for planets outside of the solar system to determine if there is life on those planets. She also focuses on how stellar astrophysics affects measurements when looking for planets.
Rogers was an undergraduate at Cal Poly Humboldt and joined Cal-Bridge during the first year the program expanded to her campus.
“Cal-Bridge was really helpful for providing a network of students at the same phase of their career at different CSU campuses but still working towards similar goals,” said Rogers.
She said that since the department on her campus was small, Cal-Bridge allowed her to connect with students at other campuses who were in similar positions.
The program provided her two mentors, a professor at her campus and a professor at UC Berkeley. The program also offered her guidance in applying for graduate school.
“I’m sure it made a huge difference in my grad school essays, getting that feedback,” Rogers said.
Rogers participated in an undergraduate summer research program at the University of Wyoming through Cal-Bridge, where she dabbled in astrophysics research for the first time. Cal-Bridge’s summer program is open to community college and Cal State undergraduate students and allows students to participate in research projects at partner institutions. Out of around 200 applications, only 50 to 60 students get accepted to the summer program.
“I really like spending time at a telescope … and dealing with all of the problems that come up when you are running a telescope overnight,” she said.
She was usually the only woman in her undergraduate classes, and in graduate school there were only three women in her cohort of 22 students.
“I got very accustomed to being the only woman in a room,” said Rogers.
She mentioned feeling isolated during her first year at UC Irvine, noticing that her classmates rarely showed up when she organized study groups and that the men in her lab would change the conversation when she entered the room.
“I had a really hard time my first year with reconciling that I felt very unwelcome,” said Rogers.
She eventually found a support network outside of her original cohort, getting closer to other doctoral scholars in Cal-Bridge and having monthly movie nights together.
“Cal-Bridge has made a huge difference to my career and my, sort of, finding my space in this field,” said Rogers.
Rogers hopes to one day become a professor and be able to teach while continuing her research in observational astrophysics.
“When I was new to physics it made a big difference for me to have women professors,” said Rogers. “I think it’s important for future students to also have that resource and that support, and I would like to be able to provide that.”
Brittany Oceguera is a contributor with the College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. CalMatters higher education coverage is supported by a grant from the College Futures Foundation.
Topline:
California scored another win against the Trump administration in their battle over how to address the homelessness crisis here and nationwide.
Why now? A federal judge this week shot down the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2025 attempt to divert money away from permanent housing and instead fund temporary shelters and programs that require sobriety. But the judge stopped short of banning the Trump administration from making such changes in the future.
How we got here: In November, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said jurisdictions applying for about $4 billion in federal Continuum of Care funding can’t spend more than 30% of it on permanent housing — a move that would result in a significant cut to the type of long-term housing that for years has been a cornerstone of the fight against homelessness. Last year, California communities spent about 90% their share of that money on permanent housing.
The background: A group of states, including California quickly sued. San Francisco, Santa Clara County and a group of national homelessness nonprofits filed a separate lawsuit. In December, a federal judge in Rhode Island temporarily blocked the changes. In February, Congress ordered HUD to renew grants from 2025 under the old rules.
California scored another win against the Trump administration in their battle over how to address the homelessness crisis here and nationwide.
A federal judge this week shot down the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2025 attempt to divert money away from permanent housing and instead fund temporary shelters and programs that require sobriety. But the judge stopped short of banning the Trump administration from making such changes in the future.
“The federal court’s decision to reject the Trump-Vance Administration’s attempt to disrupt essential housing services for people experiencing homelessness, including families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities, is both appropriate and just,” Renee Willis, chief executive of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, wrote in a news release.
In November, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said jurisdictions applying for about $4 billion in federal Continuum of Care funding can’t spend more than 30% of it on permanent housing — a move that would result in a significant cut to the type of long-term housing that for years has been a cornerstone of the fight against homelessness.
Last year, California communities spent about 90% their share of that money on permanent housing.
A group of states, including California quickly sued. San Francisco, Santa Clara County and a group of national homelessness nonprofits filed a separate lawsuit. In December, a federal judge in Rhode Island temporarily blocked the changes. In February, Congress ordered HUD to renew grants from 2025 under the old rules.
This week, U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy partially granted the plaintiffs’ request for summary judgement in both cases. She ruled that the federal agency did not try to foresee the harm its “breakneck” transition away from the country’s longstanding “housing first” model – which prioritizes getting people into housing without first forcing them to seek treatment – would have on the country’s homeless individuals.
“Overall, the actions undertaken by HUD in attempting to hastily eliminate its housing first approach serve as the hallmark of unreasoned decision making,” McElroy wrote.
HUD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling wraps up both cases, unless the Trump administration decides to appeal.
But the fight isn’t over. The Trump administration tried again last month, moving to shift 2026 federal funding away from permanent housing and the housing first framework. Housing advocates tried to challenge that latest shift in the prior lawsuit. The judge rejected that attempt, but welcomed the plaintiffs to file a new lawsuit.
The housing advocates said they are weighing their next steps.
Topline:
As if Southern California’s air quality hasn’t been bad enough lately, air quality officials are warning much of Southern California to brace for hazardous air over the July 4 weekend.
Where the greatest risks are: Areas around downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, and northern Orange County may see hazardous air on the evening of July 4 due to particle pollution from fireworks, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Riverside County and San Bernardino could see hazardous air the next day as the particles from fireworks move east and combine with the region’s elevated levels of air pollution.
Other risks: The Inland Empire and most of Los Angeles and Orange counties — that is, nearly all of SoCal — may see unhealthy air at times throughout the weekend, as it does every year.
Why it’s unhealthy: Exposure to particle pollution can cause chronic coughs in healthy people and flare-ups of symptoms for people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the American Lung Association. If you’re in an area where people set off personal fireworks, the organization said those can be even more dangerous, since they’re closer to the ground and the air we breathe.
What to do: Stay inside if you can, and avoid physical activity outside. Unlike the recent fire at the Lineage Logistics warehouse in Boyle Heights, air quality officials say running air conditioners in your home will help, as will air purifiers, though they recommend against turning on fans that bring in outside air.
Other issues: Visibility in Orange County and the Inland Empire may be low Saturday night due to a soupy blend of high humidity and particle pollution.
How long the advisory lasts: It’s in place from 5 p.m. July 4 until 3 p.m. July 5.
Topline:
As if Southern California’s air quality hasn’t been bad enough lately, air quality officials are warning much of the region to brace for hazardous air over the July 4 weekend.
Where the greatest risks are: Areas around downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, and northern Orange County may see hazardous air on the evening of July 4 due to particle pollution from fireworks, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Riverside County and San Bernardino could see hazardous air the next day as the particles from fireworks move east and combine with the region’s elevated levels of air pollution.
Other risks: The Inland Empire and most of Los Angeles and Orange counties — that is, nearly all of SoCal — may see unhealthy air at times throughout the weekend, as they do every year.
Why it’s unhealthy: Exposure to particle pollution can cause chronic coughs in healthy people and flare-ups of symptoms for people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the American Lung Association. If you’re in an area where people set off personal fireworks, the organization said those can be even more dangerous, since they’re closer to the ground and the air we breathe.
What to do: Stay inside if you can, and avoid physical activity outside. Unlike the recent fire at the Lineage Logistics warehouse in Boyle Heights, air quality officials say running air conditioners in your home will help, as will air purifiers, though they recommend against turning on fans that bring in outside air.
Other issues: Visibility in Orange County and the Inland Empire may be low Saturday night due to a soupy blend of high humidity and particle pollution.
How long the advisory lasts: It’s in place from 5 p.m. July 4 until 3 p.m. July 5.
Topline:
The U.S. telecasts of this summer's World Cup games are drawing a record number of viewers. Fox Sports, which broadcasts the games in English, reports an average of 5 million viewers per match across 72 group stage matches. And Telemundo says nearly half of all World Cup viewers in the country are watching its Spanish language coverage.
Why now? At Café Brasil in Culver City, Giselle Rosas noted the growing popularity of soccer in the U.S. "thanks to immigrants," and she said it's more fun to watch the World Cup in Spanish. "A million percent. We like the excitement," said Rosas, "the feeling, the sentiment, the ambience, it's a night and day difference."
Why it matters: That kind of passion, to date, has translated to an average of 4.6 million World Cup viewers of Spanish-language sportscasts on Telemundo and Peacock streaming services per match, according to NBCUniversal. "This is the most watched World Cup ever in Spanish language in this country. The numbers are just mind blowing, really," says Miguel Lorenzo, a senior vice president at Telemundo Deportes.
Read on... for more on what might be behind the demographic shift.
The U.S. telecasts of this summer's World Cup games are drawing a record number of viewers. Fox Sports, which broadcasts the games in English, reports an average of 5 million viewers per match across 72 group stage matches. And Telemundo says nearly half of all World Cup viewers in the country are watching its Spanish language coverage.
Wednesday night, fans celebrated as the U.S. men's national soccer team knocked out Bosnia Herzegovina's team two-nil during the latest round of the Copa Mundial, as it's known in Spanish.
At Café Brasil in Culver City, California, Giselle Rosas and her mother Graciela Reyes, who were both born in Mexico, cheered for the U.S. team, along with Telemundo's famously exuberant announcer Andrés Cantor.
"That's the best part for everybody," Reyes said, imitating Cantor's long "Goooooool" calls.
Rosas noted the growing popularity of soccer in the U.S. "thanks to immigrants," and she said it's more fun to watch the World Cup in Spanish.
"A million percent. We like the excitement," said Rosas, "the feeling, the sentiment, the ambience, it's a night and day difference."
That kind of passion, to date, has translated to an average of 4.6 million World Cup viewers of Spanish-language sportscasts on Telemundo and Peacock streaming services per match, according to NBCUniversal.
"This is the most watched World Cup ever in Spanish language in this country. The numbers are just mind blowing, really," says Miguel Lorenzo, a senior vice president at Telemundo Deportes.
"Basically, half of the country of the United States is watching the World Cup in Spanish on Telemundo. But we also know that only 20% of the U.S. population is Hispanic," says Lorenzo. "We're seeing audiences that are bilingual, that are Spanish dominant, that speak English enjoying World Cup coverage."
According to Nielsen ratings, 20% of Telemundo's World Cup viewers speak English as their primary language. And overall, Lorenzo says the viewership on its telecasts has increased by 122% since the 2022 World Cup Games.
He says excitement has been highest for the winning matches by Mexico and the U.S., and the network's social media platforms have surpassed a record-breaking one billion views.
"I can't tell you how many comments I've seen where people are saying, 'I don't speak a lick of Spanish, but I want to watch it on Telemundo because it just sounds more exciting. And maybe by the end of the World Cup, I'll learn Spanish,'" Lorenzo says. "Joy and excitement and drama: it's language agnostic, it's universal."
Unlike Fox, which runs commercials during hydration breaks for the players, Telemundo keeps its cameras on the field. That's something very much appreciated by fans like comedian Trevor Noah.
"We're seeing the players on the pitch discussing what's happening. You see which coach is more stressed…This is part of the game," Noah said during one of the World Cup parties he hosts on his YouTube channel. "When you cut to ads, you lose the stress, you lose the joy, the anticipation. So shout out again, Telemundo: Really, really amazing coverage."
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