Soccer viewership in US surging since World Cup
Nielsen's Fan Insights data showed that the number of US residents identifying as soccer fans increased by 13%, from 66.8 million in July 2025 to 75.2 million in July 2026.
Record ratings for the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the US have carried over to viewership of the sport's top leagues since July, according to Nielsen research findings announced on Tuesday.
Nielsen's Fan Insights data showed that the number of US residents identifying as soccer fans increased by 13%, from 66.8 million in July 2025 to 75.2 million in July 2026. Over the past five years, soccer fandom in the US has grown by 27%, an increase of 16 million fans. Major League Soccer has seen a 28% boost, adding 11.7 million fans. The findings were unveiled on Tuesday at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.
Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final on 19 July averaged 66.4 million viewers in the US, the largest audience for a soccer match in US history and the most viewers for a US television broadcast since Super Bowl LX in February, when the New England Patriots faced the champion Seattle Seahawks.
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"The Fifa World Cup 2026 has served as a powerful catalyst for soccer's explosive growth across North America," Nielsen global head of sport Seth Ladetsky said in a statement. "Our data shows that fandom is not only reaching record highs, but it is also expanding rapidly among younger, diverse audiences and carrying over into major domestic and international leagues."
Audiences for MLS regular-season games shown on Fox and FS1 after the World Cup break rose by 55% among men aged 18-34 and 29% among adults aged 18-34 compared with regular-season matches before the tournament.
"The journey started when the World Cup was granted – it didn't start this summer," MLS commissioner Don Garber said on stage at the Tuned In summit. "What we're looking for as a sport is to grow the market. When I came into MLS, there was no market. ... Our first goal was to build a market where we could come in and deliver something for local fans. And we did that over a period of time. ... Now you've got to have the product that people care about. And frankly, that's just about money and development."
Audiences for England's Premier League matches on NBC and USA Network, including Spanish-language broadcasts, have risen by 30% among US adults aged 18-34, according to Nielsen.
Viewership for Spain's LaLiga on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and ESPN Deportes has risen by 42% year on year across English- and Spanish-language broadcasts, including a 60% increase among viewers aged 18-34.
