World Cup Final Shatters US Viewership Records

The United States men's team may not have made it past the Round of 16, but Americans tuned in to see the World Cup final in record droves. Nearly 63 million Americans watched Spain edge Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the World Cup final in New Jersey, reports NBC News, obliterating previous US records for the tournament and more than doubling the American audience for the 2022 final. Fox's English-language broadcast drew 38.9 million viewers, while Telemundo and Peacock added 23.9 million. That put the final in second place only to Super Bowl viewership, notes the Athletic.

Fox averaged 7.737 million viewers for the 104 broadcasts on Fox, FS1, and Tubi—up from 3.588 million in 2022 and 2.77 million in 2018, per the AP. The surge capped a lucrative run for rights holders Fox and Comcast, who together paid more than $1 billion for packages including this World Cup. Knockout-stage matches routinely beat recent NBA Finals and World Series games, advertisers paid up to $1 million for 30-second spots, and the new "hydration break" ad slots alone are expected to net Fox at least $250 million. "I think we have to invent a new vocabulary, new words to define the success of this World Cup," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.