World Cup Ratings: How Telemundo, Peacock and Fox Hooked US Viewers

The ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has ignited an extraordinary surge in soccer viewership across American media platforms, marking a historic moment for the sport in the U.S. market. This tournament has shattered previous records, with key matches drawing unprecedented audiences that reflect soccer’s expanding footprint in the country.

A notable highlight includes the U.S. versus Belgium match, which attracted a combined audience of 42 million viewers across Fox’s English-language broadcasts, Telemundo’s Spanish-language coverage, and streaming service Peacock. This milestone surpassed any prior soccer telecast in U.S. history, including the largest Spanish-language audience ever for a U.S. men’s national team game.

Similarly, the Mexico-United Kingdom fixture drew an astonishing 44.8 million viewers across multiple platforms, establishing a new record for non-U.S. men’s World Cup matches on English-language broadcasts in the U.S., as well as setting a record for Spanish-language soccer viewership. These figures underscore the deepening engagement of both English-speaking and Hispanic audiences.

The co-hosting arrangement has played a pivotal role in these viewership gains by situating matches in North America, which has facilitated prime-time scheduling accessible to U.S. viewers. Additionally, strong performances by the U.S. and Mexican national teams until their recent tournament exits kept fan interest high, while global soccer icons such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, and Erling Haaland have further elevated the tournament’s appeal.

Broadcasters Fox and Telemundo have effectively leveraged their respective streaming extensions—Fox’s Fox One and NBCUniversal’s Peacock—to complement traditional linear broadcasts. Fox expanded its broadcast slate dramatically to include 72 matches, doubling its coverage from the 2022 tournament, thereby providing greater access and flexibility for viewers.

Telemundo and Peacock’s Spanish-language viewership has been particularly robust, accounting for nearly half of all viewers during the group stage. This demographic strength highlights the importance of offering multi-platform, bilingual coverage to meet diverse fan preferences. Joaquin Duro, Telemundo’s executive vice president of sports and head of streaming, emphasized the network’s strategy to deliver an integrated experience across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms, a tactic that has evidently paid off.

Beyond the World Cup itself, these broadcasting successes have broader implications for the sports streaming market. The tournament’s major matches have outpaced viewership figures for other marquee sporting events this summer, including the NBA Finals and the MLB World Series. For instance, the U.S.-Belgium match’s 30 million viewers on Fox platforms alone rivaled NFL game numbers and exceeded top NBA and MLB playoff games.

While comparisons to the Winter Olympics are complicated by differing event structures and audience demographics, the World Cup’s group stage averaged 9.5 million English-language viewers on Fox platforms and 7.4 million Spanish-language viewers on Telemundo and Peacock—an impressive 61% increase over the prior tournament’s group stage viewership.

Looking ahead to the tournament’s final stages, which commence with the quarterfinals, viewership dynamics could shift due to the elimination of the U.S. and Mexico teams. However, the event’s growing general appeal and the planned high-profile halftime show featuring artists like Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, and BTS may sustain or even boost audience engagement.

In parallel, the Fourth of July celebrations on major networks demonstrated strong ratings, with ABC’s 24-hour programming block “Disney Celebrates America” drawing nearly 50 million viewers and outperforming NBC’s Macy’s Fireworks special. Fox’s baseball coverage also saw significant gains, achieving the highest regular-season game viewership since 2021.

Peacock’s streaming platform has benefited from the World Cup’s momentum, with a large portion of its World Cup audience also engaging with other content such as the popular Spanish-language telenovela “El Señor de los Cielos” and the reality series “Love Island USA.” The latter dominated Nielsen’s streaming rankings for the week of June 1, highlighting the synergy between live sports events and streaming entertainment in attracting younger viewers.

The 2026 World Cup’s record-breaking audience figures underscore the increasing importance of multi-platform distribution and bilingual programming in cultivating soccer’s expanding fanbase in the United States. Broadcasters’ strategic investments in streaming and comprehensive coverage have clearly resonated with viewers, signaling significant growth potential for soccer and sports media in the North American market.