Key Takeaways
- Nearly 63 million Americans watched the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
- Fox’s English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while Telemundo and Peacock streaming platform drew another 23.9 million for Spanish coverage.
- The event surpassed previous US viewership records for major sports events.
The FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday evening set a new record for viewership in the United States, with nearly 63 million Americans tuning in to watch the match. This figure far exceeded the 2022 World Cup final's 22.3 million US viewers and marked a significant milestone for soccer’s growing appeal in the country.
Fox’s English-language broadcast alone attracted an impressive 38.9 million viewers, while Comcast’s Telemundo and its Peacock streaming platform combined to draw another 23.9 million for Spanish-language coverage. The combined audience was more than double that of the previous record holder, Super Bowl LX, which drew nearly 126 million viewers.
The strong viewership reflects a significant shift in American sports preferences, with soccer now competing favorably against other major US sports such as baseball and basketball. Analysts attribute this success to years of efforts by broadcasters and sponsors to broaden the sport’s audience, including prime-time kickoff slots for American audiences and high-profile matches featuring stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The tournament was co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the first time, benefiting from strategic scheduling that capitalized on peak viewing times. Fox One, which had the English-language streaming rights in the US, recorded 2.8 million sign-ups in June, its strongest month since launch, more than double the January NFL Playoffs sign-up numbers.
Soccer’s popularity among Hispanic audiences also played a crucial role in driving strong turnout on Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo. Vicente Navarro, managing partner at GotDigital, stated that ratings have 'blown past internal forecasts for both networks, and it's not close.'
Advertisers took notice of the high viewership, with major brands like PepsiCo, Home Depot, Anheuser-Busch, and Coca-Cola investing in advertising spots. A 30-second spot during knockout-stage matches cost as much as $1 million, more than double the 2018 levels.
The success of this year’s World Cup final has significant implications for future broadcasting rights negotiations. Fox and Comcast paid roughly $485 million and $600 million, respectively, for their rights packages that included the tournament. These figures are expected to rise as advertisers continue to invest in soccer’s growing audience.
