Fanatiz launches US pay-TV channel and YouTube football hub

Fanatiz has launched a dedicated pay-TV channel and interactive YouTube streaming service in the United States as it broadens its reach beyond its original direct-to-consumer platform.The two launches are designed to give the South American football specialist a presence across traditional television, subscription streaming and free digital video.Fanatiz1 will operate as a 24-hour linear pay-TV channel, carrying up to 15 live matches each week alongside original programming, highlights and analysis.Its rights portfolio includes Brazil’s Brasileirão Série A, Peru’s Liga1, Venezuela’s Liga FutVe and Brazil’s National Futsal League.The channel will also carry programmes including L1 Radio, Hablemos De Max, Brasileirão Magazine and Modo Futve, supported by pre-match and post-match coverage, goal compilations and team-of-the-week features.Juan Pablo Buscaglione, Fanatiz general manager, commented: “Fanatiz’s interactive YouTube streaming channel and Fanatiz1 linear pay-TV channel represent a major strategic milestone and a natural disruption to our growth story.“By combining our native streaming leadership with a dedicated linear pay-TV channel and a 100% interactive digital experience, we are cementing a true 360° omnichannel ecosystem. This ensures soccer fans can frictionlessly connect with their passion across whatever format they choose.”The YouTube channel is targeted at younger Hispanic audiences who increasingly consume football through free streaming, creators and community-led formats rather than traditional scheduled television.Its main weekend programme, El Partido de Fanatiz, is a six-hour live show combining pre-match coverage, live games, pitchside reporting and post-match debate.The format also incorporates live chats, polls and real-time audience reaction, with Fanatiz positioning the match itself as the centre of a wider interactive experience rather than a standalone broadcast.A separate programme, Fuerte y al Medio, will stream three times a week, while a daily show will cover the FIFA World Cup 2026 throughout the tournament.Rafael López, vice-president of media and content at Fz Sports, stated: “Latinos in the US represent a community of 30 million fans who already spend more than half of their viewing time on streaming. Fanatiz was born for them.“South American soccer is culture, identity and conversation, and Fanatiz’s new YouTube destination is where that conversation happens. This is where creators play a key role in building a true sense of belonging, which remains at the core of every content decision we make.”The expansion gives Fanatiz a broader advertising and distribution proposition by combining subscription revenue, carriage income, digital reach and creator-led sponsorship inventory.It also comes during the FIFA World Cup 2026, when football interest in the US is expected to drive higher demand for Spanish-language and culturally specific programming.