World Cup Final Sets New U.S. Viewership Record with Over 62 Million Fans
The FIFA World Cup final on Sunday pulled in more than 62.8 million viewers across the United States, making it the most-watched World Cup final and soccer broadcast ever in the country.
Key Figures Behind the Numbers
Spain edged out defending champions Argentina 1–0 in extra time to claim the title. The match also set a new record for Spanish-language soccer broadcasts in the U.S., according to Telemundo.
Nearly 39 million Americans watched the game on Fox, which held exclusive English-language rights. This marks a 132% jump from the 2022 final's audience on Fox. Meanwhile, close to 24 million tuned in on Telemundo, up 166% from the previous final on that network.
U.S. World Cup Live TV Viewership Over the Years
These figures come from Nielsen and include both English and Spanish broadcasts. Since 2020, Nielsen ratings have incorporated out-of-home and streaming views.
Streaming Boosts Reach
Streaming played a significant role in expanding the tournament’s audience. June saw the biggest surge in subscribers for Fox's streaming platform, Fox One, which gained an estimated 2.8 million new users—more than double its previous monthly record set during the NFL playoffs in January.
Most of these were new customers, with 93% signing up for the first time.
Peacock, streaming Telemundo’s coverage, also experienced strong growth, adding about 3.75 million U.S. subscribers in June, according to Antenna data. Streaming accounted for nearly half of Telemundo’s World Cup audience this year, compared to 30% in 2022.
Telemundo’s coverage appealed beyond its traditional Spanish-speaking base, thanks to lively commentary, fewer commercials during hydration breaks, and Peacock’s lower cost relative to Fox One.
Factors Behind the Surge
Hosting the tournament in the U.S., a competitive national men’s team, and wider streaming availability all helped push viewership to new heights.
The U.S. team's matches broke records: the June 12 opener against Paraguay drew 18 million English-language viewers on Fox, setting a new high. On July 1, their win over Bosnia and Herzegovina attracted 26.4 million viewers on Fox, the largest English-language soccer audience ever in America.
Their loss to Belgium on July 6 topped that with 37.2 million on Fox and another 12.9 million on Telemundo, totaling over 50 million viewers.
The July 5 Mexico vs. England match also came close, with 46.7 million viewers across both networks.
Worldwide Impact and Future Rights
The FIFA World Cup has long been the biggest recurring television event globally. Although FIFA hasn’t released worldwide figures for this final yet, the 2022 final between Argentina and France drew 1.42 billion viewers worldwide.
Live sports remain among the few types of programming that attract huge live audiences, boosting advertising revenue and streaming subscriptions.
FIFA introduced new entertainment elements to broaden the tournament’s appeal, including its first-ever halftime show during the final.
Looking ahead, FIFA plans to open up media rights bidding for the 2030 World Cup. Current agreements with Fox and Telemundo run through 2026 after being extended without competitive bidding for 2022.
Reports suggest English- and Spanish-language U.S. rights might be sold as a package for 2030, with companies like Netflix, Disney, and YouTube showing interest.
