Football viewership in US surging since World Cup
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The World Cup final on July 19 averaged 66.4 million viewers in the United States, the largest audience for a football match in US history.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Record ratings for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States have carried over to US viewership of the sport’s top leagues since July, according to Nielsen research findings announced on Oct 13.
Nielsen’s Fan Insights data showed that the number of US residents identifying as football fans increased 13%, from 66.8 million in July 2025 to 75.2 million in July 2026.
Over the past five years, football fandom in the US has grown 27%, an increase of 16 million fans. Major League Soccer has seen a 28% boost, adding 11.7 million fans.
The findings were unveiled on Oct 13 at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.
Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final on July 19 averaged 66.4 million viewers in the United States, the largest audience for a football match in US history and the most viewers for an American television broadcast since Super Bowl LX in February, when the New England Patriots faced the champion Seattle Seahawks.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 has served as a powerful catalyst for soccer’s explosive growth across North America,” Nielsen global head of sports Seth Ladetsky said in a statement.
“Our data shows that fandom is not only reaching record highs, but it is also expanding rapidly among younger, diverse audiences and carrying over into major domestic and international leagues.”
Audiences for MLS regular-season games shown on Fox and FS1 after the World Cup break rose 55% among men ages 18 to 34 and 29% among adults ages 18 to 34 compared with regular-season matches before the tournament.
“The journey started when the World Cup was granted – it didn’t start this summer,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said onstage at the Tuned In summit.
“What we’re looking for as a sport is to grow the market. When I came into MLS, there was no market... Our first goal was to build a market where we could come in and deliver something for local fans. And we did that over a period of time.
“Now you’ve got to have the product that people care about. And frankly, that’s just about money and development.”
Audiences for England’s Premier League matches on NBC and USA Network, including Spanish-language broadcasts, have risen 30% among US adults ages 18 to 34, according to Nielsen.
Viewership for Spain’s LaLiga on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and ESPN Deportes has risen 42% year over year across English- and Spanish-language broadcasts, including a 60% increase among viewers ages 18 to 34. REUTERS