Football has completed its definitive leap in North America. The celebration of the FIFA World Cup 2026 not only left memorable images on the playing fields but also broke all television viewership records in US territory. The national team tournament has shown that interest in football is no longer a minority phenomenon, managing to compete head-to-head with the country’s traditional leagues.
Read more Trump conditions nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia on normalizing relations with Israel
The television impact of the final between Spain and Argentina
The grand final of the tournament completely paralyzed the country. Audience measurements reflect unprecedented viewership: more than 62 million viewers tuned into the broadcast of the decisive match via traditional television.
This historic record shatters data from previous editions:
- Exponential growth: The figure represented an increase of 132% compared to Qatar 2022 and more than 240% compared to Russia 2018.
- The golden minute: During extra time, broadcast peaks exceeded 51 million simultaneous viewers on the English-language signal.
- Entertainment factor: The inclusion of a musical show at halftime, in the purest Super Bowl style, served as a key hook to attract the general American public.
Fox and Telemundo break records: Where did people watch the World Cup?
The distribution of broadcasting rights has left big winners in the US media landscape. The combination of English-language coverage and Spanish-language broadcasts has allowed for reaching a heterogeneous and multicultural audience.
English-language coverage via Fox
The Fox network registered an average of 7.7 million viewers per match throughout the championship. Key matches involving the US national team and decisive knockout stage clashes widely surpassed the 20 and 30 million viewer mark, also boosting the growth of its digital subscription platforms.
The Spanish-language phenomenon of the Telemundo network
For its part, Telemundo demonstrated the strength of the Spanish-speaking community by gathering almost 24 million fans during the title match alone. The passionate narrative, cultural proximity, and absence of commercial breaks during hydration pauses made the network the preferred option for millions of families.
Football surpasses baseball and basketball on US television
One of the most revealing data from recent measurements by the consulting firm Nielsen is how football has managed to surpass the figures of the major finals of national baseball series (MLB) and the NBA finals.
Read more Halftime ends
While the decisive NBA and Major League matches averaged between 25 and 27 million viewers, the definitive World Cup clash comfortably exceeded 60 million, placing it only behind the inaccessible Super Bowl.
Nielsen’s new measurement model
These numbers also reflect an update in audience metrics. The current model computes out-of-home viewing, accounting for the public gathered in:
- Bars and restaurants.
- Fan zones and outdoor events.
- Family and friends gatherings.
The Spanish-speaking social mass in the United States, which exceeds 60 million people, has emerged as the main driver of this sport’s growth. Latin American teams like Mexico and Argentina, coupled with the presence of global stars like Lionel Messi, Mbappé, or Lamine Yamal, have consolidated a consumption habit that promises to stay in North America for now.
The success of these broadcasts is already having consequences in the audiovisual market, leading Spanish-speaking networks to close agreements to acquire the broadcasting rights for the major European club competitions for the upcoming seasons.
- “I’m sorry”: Roberto Ayala broke his silence after the incident with Dani Olmo in the World Cup final
- Two Uruguayan footballers and Cristiano Ronaldo appear in the worst XI of the 2026 World Cup
- How much is Vozinha worth after the 2026 World Cup? The Cape Verde goalkeeper multiplied his price
