World Cup final sets US audience record as Spain beats Argentina
Nearly 63 million US viewers watched Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in New Jersey, according to Fox, Comcast and Reuters.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Spain’s extra-time victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final drew nearly 63 million viewers in the United States, setting a new high for the tournament’s US audience, according to figures reported by Fox, Comcast and Reuters. The result points to a broader US audience for football after years of efforts to build the sport’s profile in a market led by American football, basketball and baseball.
The final, played Sunday in New Jersey, was scoreless through regulation before Spain scored in the 106th minute and won 1-0. The match closed the first World Cup cohosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Fox said its English-language coverage averaged 38.9 million viewers. Comcast said Telemundo and Peacock drew 23.9 million viewers for Spanish-language coverage, Reuters reported.
The combined audience was far above the 22.3 million US viewers who watched the 2022 final in Qatar, according to the figures cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters. The tournament also gave broadcasters a strong run after major rights investments: media reports cited by Reuters said Fox paid about $485 million and Comcast about $600 million for packages that included the World Cup.
Knockout matches also drew large US audiences
Several games before the final also beat recent title-deciding events in other major US sports, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. England’s round of 16 match against Mexico drew nearly 45 million viewers.
That audience topped the roughly 27 million who watched Game 7 of Major League Baseball’s World Series, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in extra innings. It also exceeded the nearly 25 million who watched Game 5 of the NBA Finals, when the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to end a 53-year championship drought.
The World Cup figures remained well short of the Super Bowl. Nearly 126 million viewers watched Super Bowl LX, when the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots, according to the figures cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters.
Analysts cited by Reuters said the final capped a solid tournament for Fox and Comcast. US viewership stayed strong even after the United States were eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16 on July 6.
Prime-time games helped broadcasters
The North American schedule gave many matches favorable kickoff times for US viewers. Al Jazeera and Reuters also reported that interest was helped by the possibility that several major stars, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, could be making their final World Cup appearances.
The 2026 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in the United States since 1994. Fox carried all 104 matches across its English-language platforms, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
The next tournament will be cohosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco in 2030, followed by Saudi Arabia in 2034. Those events are likely to have less favorable kickoff times for US audiences, which could affect US ratings, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.