The World Cup ended over the weekend, but the television industry is likely to keep it going for quite some time.
Fox Sports drew large crowds to the event, even though the “home teams” of America and Mexico were eliminated well before the tournament reached its final stages. match against argentina
England averaged 15,063,000 viewers on FOX, making it the most-watched FIFA Men’s Worlds.
The Cup semi-final match will go down in English history, but the Spain vs. France match will be average
The number of viewers was 11,462,000. Fox announced Tuesday that the tournament final between Spain and Argentina drew 38.9 million viewers, while statistics from Spanish-language rights holder Telemundo estimated that 23.9 million people watched the telecast.
These eye-popping totals suggest that “there has to be something other than the competition itself that interests people,” says Eric Shanks, CEO and executive producer of Fox Sports. Fox Sports has been televising English matches from 19 different venues over 39 days. The executive said interest in the event as a whole has led to large groups watching the event in bars and at friends’ homes, creating “a socio-cultural event that perhaps no one could have ever dreamed of.”
Much of the attention is on the field of play, but as the likes of Spain and Belgium look to score goals, the Foxes continue to experiment. After the game most days, Fox Sports aired a bespoke late-night show for soccer fans led by James Corden. Fox Sports has relied on so-called “hydration breaks” during games, where players can take a few minutes to quench their thirst or think about the game situation. And throughout the tournament, Fox Sports has given its play-by-play team more freedom than you could imagine during a television event that generates millions of viewers and advertising.
Perhaps Fox has a natural buffer of sheer numbers. The event “increased consumption by more than 100 billion minutes,” said Michael Mulvihill, president of insights and analytics at Fox Sports. “It’s almost hard to put these numbers in context, but over the course of the season, it’s similar to what you’d see at the Olympics, or what you’d see in an NFL package.”
Every TV adjustment costs millions of dollars. Total ad revenue for the World Cup will reach $666.3 million, up from $441.9 million in 2022 and $315.3 million in 2018, according to guidelines that examine ad spending. Overall, TV advertising for the 2026 World Cup reached $501 million, with streaming accounting for $166.2 million.
Fox Sports’ Shanks makes no apologies for pushing the envelope. While some fans have expressed outrage at mid-air hydration breaks that accompany commercials, executives believe the pauses will improve overall play. There were fewer “outbursts” in scoring, and “I think it made the games a lot closer,” he said. “There’s a difference between a player being able to collect his thoughts and a coach having time to discuss strategy.” “That probably benefited the game,” he added.
Fox was also pleased with Corden’s postgame work. “That’s what late night should be: people talking about the things they love,” Shanks said, adding that the sports-focused option pairs well with Fox News Channel’s Greg Gutfeld’s 10 p.m. show, The Brothers’ Initiative. “I would love to try this with James at other events.”
Sports broadcasters weren’t trying to appease their viewers. Fans at times lashed out at commentator Alexei Lalas, a veteran analyst, player and soccer executive, who has been accused of being too exaggerated and even partisan on air. A strong reaction is a good thing, Shanks says. “When you produce television, that’s what everyone wants. The worst thing in the world is to broadcast something and find out that people don’t care.” A month ago, Lalas was known primarily among soccer fans, but now a wider demographic is hooked on him, which is incredible, Shanks added.
Bidding for the broadcast rights to the 2030 World Cup is likely to be extremely intense. ESPN, owned by Walt Disney Co., has already expressed interest in broadcasting the next tournament. Still, the next great thing comes with different conditions. First, the United States will not be hosting it. “One thing you can’t magically overcome in sports TV is time zones,” Shanks warns.
Fox’s next trick is to entice World Cup fans to attend other sporting events. The company has experience with spikes during IndyCar and Major League Baseball tournaments, but it remains to be seen whether there will be carryover long-term. Shanks says that’s also true of soccer’s popularity in America as a whole. The World Cup “brings a spent spark, but you have to do something with it. It’s not a magic wand that you just wave and it’s going to last. You have to use it. FIFA lit the fuse and now we have to see what happens to it.”
