A 61.5 million viewers in the United States watched Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final, according to figures released by Fox, Telemundo, and Peacock. This combined audience marks the highest viewership for a soccer match in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of 30 million set during the United States men’s national team’s recent loss to Belgium.
Broadcast Reach and Historic Viewership Metrics
Fox reported that its broadcast of the final drew 38.937 million viewers, with the audience peaking at 51.6 million during the match. When accounting for the 22.6 million viewers across Telemundo and Peacock, the total domestic reach reached 61.5 million. These figures cement the event as a significant cultural moment, eclipsing the 2016 World Series Game 7—which drew 40 million viewers on Fox—as the most-watched non-NFL telecast in the country since that contest.
Did you know? Super Bowl LX drew approximately 125 million viewers, maintaining its position as the most-watched annual event in the United States.
Comparative Analysis: Growth of Soccer in the U.S.
The surge in interest for this year’s final stands in stark contrast to the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar. That tournament’s final between Argentina and France drew roughly 16.7 million viewers. In comparison, the 2024 final’s performance outperformed the recent NBA Finals, which averaged 20 million viewers on ABC and ESPN—the highest figure for the basketball championship series since 1998.
Market Impact and Future Trends
Ferran Torres’ extra-time goal secured Spain’s first World Cup title since 2010, effectively ending Argentina’s bid for back-to-back championships.
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