1 of 1
Story summary
- The 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina attracted 66.4 million U.S. viewers, according to Nielsen.
- The opening match on June 11, 2026 set U.S. records with 13.4 million Spanish-language and 7.19 million English viewers.
- Hydration breaks reduced audience by 2%–3%, per Octagon Media Rights Consulting.
- Fox paid $485 million for U.S. rights, projecting $850 million in advertising revenue.
- ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro and streaming services Netflix, YouTube and Apple are eyeing the next U.S. rights cycle.
