In this week’s episode of “The De Los Podcast,” hosts Fidel Martinez and Suzy Exposito hash out the state of Latinos in Hollywood and discuss the recent World Cup broadcast showdown between Telemundo and Fox — and what it should tell media companies about Latino viewers.
As World Cup fanfare came to a close on Sunday, with Spain taking home the top prize, it was clear that there was another winner on the sidelines: Telemundo. According to Nielsen ratings, roughly half of its U.S.-based viewership (including non-Latino viewers) tuned into the Spanish-language broadcast for at least a portion of the matches.
There were a couple reasons behind this stat, which was originally reported by the Associated Press. Some viewers were fascinated with Argentine sports commentator Andrés Cantor’s elongated “¡gooool!” cheer. Others enjoyed the fact that Telemundo did not cut away from commercials like Fox Sports, the official host broadcaster for FIFA.
In an interview with NPR, Miguel Lorenzo, a senior vice president at Telemundo Deportes, stated that its viewership on the telecasts increased by 122% since the 2022 World Cup Games.
“You have two companies competing for my attention, for my dollar,” said “The De Los Podcast” host Martinez. “One of them is just assuming that because I speak English predominantly, I’m going to give my money to them. The other one has a deep understanding of why I watch the sport in the first place.”
Exposito highlighted another factoid: The match between England and Mexico reeled in nearly 45 million viewers across Fox Sports and Telemundo. Outside of the Super Bowl — and until the World Cup Final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday, which garnered a record-breaking 62.8 million viewers — that was the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history, surpassing viewership for any NBA Final and MLB World Series.
“Why does it take the World Cup [for us] to see ourselves?” asked Exposito.
Both Exposito and Martinez agreed that the data from the World Cup should be informative for Hollywood, where Latino talent continues to be undermined. They cited the 2026 Emmy Awards, where out of 91 total performance nominees, only three Latino actors — Oscar Isaac (for Netflix’s “Beef”), Colman Domingo (Netflix’s “The Four Seasons” and HBO’s “Euphoria”) and Carlos Manuel Vesga (Apple TV+’s “Pluribus”) — were nominated for awards.
By comparison, Bad Bunny secured nine nominations for his Super Bowl halftime show — the most nominated NFL halftime show yet.
The lack of Latino representation in Hollywood is not much of a surprise for the De Los hosts, especially in light of the television industry implosion. There is a greater emphasis on streaming services which rely on subscriber growth, while fewer shows are being made and the number of episodes per season have been downsized. The hosts also point to the media merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery — which was paused on Monday by a U.S. District judge due to the “strong showing” that the deal would decrease competition.
“With what’s going on with our government right now, the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the United States, these things inform each other. How many resources are going to be allocated towards people of color in the public and private sectors?” said Exposito.
Still, there have been some silver linings in Hollywood.
Exposito highlighted Inde Navarette, the “Obsession” breakout star who wowed audiences with her hair-raising performance — and noted her Latina contemporaries in the horror genre, including Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, who have starred in the “Scream” franchise. Other honorable mentions included actors Xolo Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”), Fabrizio Guido (“Running Point”), Keyla Monterroso Mejia (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) — as well as “Euphoria” actors Alexa Demie and Barbie Ferreira, who gave memorable performances in spite of sub-par writing by director-screenwriter Sam Levinson, argued Exposito.
Martinez also gave a shoutout to Hulu’s “This Fool” (created by Chris Estrada) and two Julio Torres projects: HBO’s “Los Espookys” and “Fantasmas” — and offered viewers a candid message.
“If you’re a Latino creative, the best advice I can give you is, don’t be corny,” said Martinez. “Get weird with it, everybody loves a little weirdo.”
