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World Cup final draws record 62.8M U.S. viewers - Axios
SportsBy Kerry Flynn, Sara Fischer7/22/20261 min read
The record audience raises the stakes for the next media rights negotiations.
✨ Key Highlights
- The World Cup final drew a record 62.8 million U.S. viewers, marking a new high that intensifies the stakes for upcoming media rights negotiations.
- The match, in which Spain defeated defending champion Argentina 1-0 in extra time, also became the most-watched soccer match in Spanish-language media history, according to Telemundo.
- The combined English- and Spanish-language audience underscores growing American interest in soccer, a trend that could reshape how broadcasters value future tournament coverage.
- The strong viewership figures position rights holders to command higher fees when negotiating future deals for World Cup and related soccer content.
- The result reflects the sport's expanding footprint across U.S. media markets, spanning both mainstream and Spanish-language networks.
By the numbers: The game, which saw Spain beat defending champion Argentina 10 in extra time, also was the most-watched soccer match in Spanish-language media history, Telemundo said.
- Nearly