Sunday's FIFA World Cup final drew more than 62.8 million viewers in the U.S., making it the most-watched World Cup final and soccer telecast in American history. Why it matters: The record audience underscores soccer's growing popularity in the U.S. and is likely to boost the value of future media rights.By the numbers: The game, which saw Spain beat defending champion Argentina 1–0 in extra time, also was the most-watched soccer match in Spanish-language media history, Telemundo said.Nearly 39 million U.S.
viewers watched the game on Fox, which had exclusive English-language broadcast rights in the U.S. Those figures are up 132% from the 2022 final on Fox, the company said.Another nearly 24 million U.S. viewers tuned into the broadcast on Telemundo, which had exclusive Spanish-language broadcast rights in the U.S.
Those figures are up 166% from the 2022 final on Telemundo.Data: Nielsen; Note: Includes English and Spanish broadcasts. Nielsen began including out-of-home and streaming viewing in its official national TV ratings in 2020; Chart: Kerry Flynn/AxiosStreaming played a big role in the tournament's reach. June was the biggest subscriber acquisition month for Fox's streaming service, Fox One, according to Antenna.
Fox One added an estimated 2.8 million new subscribers in June, more than 2.5 times its previous monthly record in January during the NFL playoffs, per Antenna.Nearly all of Fox's new June subscribers — 93% — were first-time customers rather than returning users. The intrigue: Peacock, which streams Telemundo, also saw strong subscriber growth, recording an estimated 3.75 million U.S. Streaming accounted for nearly half of Telemundo's World Cup audience, up from 30% in 2022, per Telemundo.Telemundo's coverage resonated beyond Spanish speakers, as some preferred the energetic commentary, lack of commercials during the hydration breaks and cheaper cost of Peacock compared to Fox One.Between the lines: America hosting the tournament, a competitive U.S.
men's national team and broader streaming distribution helped push viewership to new heights in the U.S.The U.S. team's matches set audience records. opening match against Paraguay on June 12 became the most-watched FIFA Men's World Cup telecast in English-language U.S.
history, averaging 18 million viewers.The U.S.
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