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Ashleigh Hallam instructs students in English as a second language at her local library in Indiana. Soccer, however, is now helping her learn Spanish as a second language.

This World Cup holds great significance for her.

Hallam is part of a growing group of English-speaking individuals in the United States who are engaging in an activity that could be seen as unexpected: they are tuning into World Cup broadcasts in Spanish on Telemundo, despite having little to no understanding — or in certain instances, no understanding at all — of what the commentators are saying.

I don’t really grasp everything they’re saying on Telemundo since they’re talking in Spanish,” Hallam mentioned. “But you can tell what’s happening.

The calculation is straightforward. Census data indicates that approximately 20% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, but Telemundo uses Nielsen ratings to argue that nearly half of the World Cup viewers in the country have watched at least part of some matches in Spanish. Each match of the competition has been accessible to U.S. audiences in English through Fox or FS1, in Spanish via Telemundo or Universo, and there are also online options like Fox One or Peacock.

Some of the reasons frequently mentioned by viewers who have spoken with The Associated Press recently include: an interest in renowned announcer Andrés Cantor’s “¡goooooool!” commentary. Telemundo does not switch to advertisements (unlike Fox) during the controversial water break periods. Some people find the broadcasts more enjoyable. In other instances, it’s a financial choice: Peacock, which offers Telemundo, is less expensive than Fox One.

A global tongue of football, going beyond a restricted set of words

Jackson Braunius, a resident of Michigan, viewed a U.S. match last week while sitting at a bar in a steakhouse located in Miami Lakes, Florida. He mentioned that he has limited knowledge of Spanish — “I only know ‘cerveza,’” he remarked, tapping his beer glass — yet he had no issue watching the game on Telemundo.

I’ve understood the science here,” Braunius said. “When they aren’t speaking too loudly, nothing occurs. When they become loud, there’s a possibility. When they get extremely loud, it’s likely to result in a goal.

Comedian Trevor Noah has been hosting World Cup viewing events on YouTube. He has transitioned to Spanish-language channels, and the hydration break problem was a major factor in this choice.

Observing the players on the field talking about the situation. You can tell which coach is more anxious. Some players are patting each other on the back. This is all part of the game,” Noah mentioned during one of his YouTube broadcasts. “I believe that when you switch to advertisements, you miss out on this — you lose the tension, the happiness, the excitement. So, another shoutout to Telemundo: Truly, exceptionally great coverage.

Telemundo is receiving positive feedback and has expressed gratitude to English speakers — as well as Noah directly — for commending its reporting.

The positive aspect for all is that it appears there are sufficient viewers available at the moment. The tournament’s success might result in a competition for the 2030 World Cup rights, with some reports indicating that the broadcasting rights for English and Spanish-speaking television will be combined in this deal. This was not the situation for this World Cup.

Fox Sports reported that Monday night’s Belgium vs. U.S. match reached a peak audience of approximately 41 million, marking it as the “most-watched soccer broadcast in U.S. history,” according to the network. Put another way, the final U.S. game in this World Cup attracted more viewers than any other event in the country since the Super Bowl — with an average of at least 45 million viewers across Fox (33 million) and Telemundo (estimated 12 million). The most recent Super Bowl had an average of around 125 million viewers, based on Nielsen figures.

English speakers get addicted to Telemundo

William Kennedy from Miami is married to a woman from Colombia, where the native language is Spanish. He mentions that he only knows enough Spanish to order food in restaurants. Nevertheless, he often watches World Cup games on Telemundo.

If Colombia was airing, the Kennedy household was tuning into Telemundo. If Colombia — which was eliminated by Switzerland through penalty kicks on Tuesday — wasn’t on, Kennedy typically ends up watching Telemundo anyway.

When the American commentators are covering the game, I don’t know which game they’re referring to,” Kennedy remarked. “I simply don’t.” “I prefer the excitement in Spanish because basically what occurs is that they’re speaking, and then they start talking extremely quickly, and then they become loud, and your brain just reacts with, ‘Oh, something’s happening — even if I don’t understand what’s going on.’

Hallam, who has found the World Cup to be an excellent means of connecting more deeply with her Spanish-speaking students, only recently became a passionate soccer fan. A few years ago, when her daughter expressed a desire to join a youth recreational league, Hallam took it upon herself to learn the sport. She borrowed a “Coaching for Dummies” book and started teaching herself the game.

She continued to coach her daughter throughout high school. Now, she is passionate about soccer and enjoys Spanish-language broadcasts — and intends to keep watching, even after the World Cup concludes.

It’s truly reassuring,” Hallam remarked. “We’ve genuinely appreciated it, and I hope we can keep going. For the next World Cup, we’ll watch it in the same way.