AMC Theatres announced a partnership with Telemundo to bring live Spanish-language broadcasts of select FIFA World Cup 2026 matches to its cinema network, presented under the event title Telemundo presenta la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026.
The screenings will focus on the most anticipated matchups and use high-definition projection and cinema-grade audio to create a live, group-viewing environment for fans. The confirmed schedule already includes Scotland versus Brazil on June 24, 2026, and the series will cover the Round of 16, billed in Spanish as the Octavos de Final. The program will also spotlight matches featuring Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Panama.
The stakes for box-office-style screenings are large by tournament standards: the 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams and will include a record 104 matches. Telemundo will air 92 of those matches, Universo will carry the remaining 12, and every game will be available to stream on Peacock. The tournament kicks off on June 11 when Mexico hosts South Africa and concludes with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
AMC’s move intentionally targets Spanish-language viewers who want a communal match experience: theaters promise the scale and sound that home viewing rarely matches. By offering select, high-profile fixtures rather than every game, AMC and Telemundo are betting on scarcity and curation to drive attendance; tickets are already expected to be in high demand for the opening matches and the knockout stages.
The programming choice creates a clear contrast in how Americans can watch the tournament. On one hand, Peacock will carry every match live for individual streaming. On the other, AMC’s theater screenings emphasize a shared spectacle amplified by cinema-grade audio and projection. That split sets up a simple value proposition: convenience versus the amplified feel of a stadium-style screening inside a moviehouse.
Operationally, the series will hinge on select matchups that promise the largest audiences. Telemundo’s focus on top pairings and on teams with strong followings in U.S. Spanish-language markets—Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Panama—gives AMC a built-in lineup of fixtures likely to sell big. The confirmed Scotland–Brazil date is an early example of the kind of marquee game theaters will carry; the Round of 16 slate will likely produce further high-demand dates.
There are commercial limits to the plan that viewers will notice: AMC will not be showing every match, and Spanish-language fans who want continuous coverage still have Peacock and the broader Telemundo/Universo broadcast schedule. The theater screenings are therefore positioned as event pieces—occasions for groups to gather rather than a single-source viewing plan for the whole tournament.
Given Telemundo’s broad rights package—92 matches on Telemundo, 12 on Universo, every match streaming on Peacock—and AMC’s explicit promise of high-definition, cinema-grade presentations, the most likely outcome is that theaters will fill for a string of marquee dates. For fans seeking the communal thrill of a stadium atmosphere without leaving town, AMC’s partnership with Telemundo will make selected World Cup nights feel like big-league matchdays.
