The World Cup has seen a significant surge in viewership in the US as the knockout rounds commence. Fox Sports, the English-language television broadcaster, and Telemundo, the Spanish-language broadcaster, have both broken viewership records during the group stage.

Record-Breaking Viewership

Telemundo reported that its World Cup viewership is pacing at more than double the 2022 tournament in Qatar, with audience engagement at historic highs. Fox Sports said 84 million Americans have watched at least some of its coverage through June 25, according to Nielsen’s TV and streaming measurement system.

The high viewership can be attributed to the fact that the games are being played in the US, Canada, and Mexico, raising Americans’ overall awareness and putting matches in more favorable TV windows. Additionally, soccer continues to grow in popularity in the US, and sporting events continue to compel people to watch live rather than on demand.

Nielsen is also measuring out-of-home audiences more extensively than in the past, lifting the ratings for many sports. Television executives say these viewers have always been watching at bars, restaurants, and other locations, so now the ratings are a more accurate reflection of the real audience size.

TV Ratings and Investment

The June 19 match between the US and Australia averaged 16.2 million viewers for Fox, helping the day rank as the most-watched FIFA men’s World Cup day in English-language US history. The June 25 match between the US and Turkey averaged 15.8 million viewers for Fox, even though the US had already secured its place in the knockout round.

According to The New York Times, the rights to broadcast the World Cup in the US are worth as much as three times the $485 million paid by Fox for the English-language broadcast rights. Fox won a bargain price for the 2026 rights due to a decade-old decision to stave off litigation between Fox and FIFA.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.