World Cup Final Surpasses Super Bowl in Global Viewership
WHO:
sportingnews.com - FIFA, NFL, Argentina, France, Telemundo, FOX, Peacock
WHAT:
sportingnews.com - The Super Bowl LX in 2026 averaged 125.6 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and other digital platforms, making it the second-most-watched Super Bowl in history.
sportingnews.com - The record for the most-watched Super Bowl remains 127.7 million viewers, set by Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.
Sports Media Watch - The FIFA World Cup semifinals averaged 15.09 million viewers on FOX and 10.6 million on Telemundo and Peacock, marking the most-watched World Cup semifinal round ever on English or Spanish-language television.
Sports Media Watch - The FOX audience for the semifinals increased 131% from the 2022 World Cup semifinals, which averaged 6.53 million viewers.
Sports Media Watch - The combined figure for Telemundo increased 136% from 2022, with the linear audience up 69% and streaming viewership up more than threefold.
sportingnews.com - The 2022 FIFA World Cup final was watched by nearly 26 million people in the United States, making it the most-watched men's World Cup final in American television history.
sportingnews.com - FOX's English-language broadcast of the 2022 final averaged 16.78 million viewers, while Telemundo attracted around nine million viewers.
sportingnews.com - The Super Bowl LX in 2026 averaged 125.6 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched Super Bowl in history.
sportingnews.com - The 2022 FIFA World Cup final reached around 1.5 billion people worldwide across television, streaming, and out-of-home viewing.
sportingnews.com - The Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 had an international audience of 62.5 million people outside the United States.
Sports Media Watch - The FIFA World Cup semifinals averaged 15.09 million viewers on FOX and 10.6 million on Telemundo and Peacock.
Sports Media Watch - The Argentina-England semifinal match averaged 16.90 million on FOX and 11.4 million on Telemundo and Peacock.
WHERE:
sportingnews.com - The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will take place in the United States.
sportingnews.com - The Super Bowl LVIII had its largest international audiences from Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
WHEN:
sportingnews.com - The 2022 FIFA World Cup final occurred during the year 2022.
sportingnews.com - Super Bowl LX is scheduled for 2026.
Sports Media Watch - The FIFA World Cup semifinals occurred during the year 2026.
WHY:
sportingnews.com - The FIFA World Cup final attracts a larger global audience due to the worldwide appeal of football.
HOW:
Sports Media Watch - This year’s World Cup is the first since Nielsen shifted to a new methodology that integrates “Big Data” from smart TVs and set-top boxes with its traditional panel.
sportingnews.com - The Super Bowl's worldwide audience exceeds 180 million viewers based on the official U.S. audience combined with the NFL's reported international audience.
(UPDATED July 18, 2026 12:10 UTC)
The Super Bowl LX in 2026 attracted an impressive average of 125.6 million viewers across various platforms, making it the second-most-watched Super Bowl in history, just shy of the record set by Super Bowl LIX in 2025, which drew 127.7 million viewers. In a remarkable showing, the FIFA World Cup semifinals became the most-watched in history, averaging 15.09 million viewers on FOX and 10.6 million on Telemundo and Peacock, with FOX's audience soaring 131% from the previous World Cup semifinals. This year's World Cup is also notable as it marks the first time Nielsen has utilized a new methodology that combines traditional panel data with insights from smart TVs and set-top boxes.
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(UPDATED July 18, 2026 11:17 UTC)
The 2022 FIFA World Cup final became the most-watched men's World Cup final in American television history, drawing nearly 26 million viewers in the United States, with FOX's broadcast averaging 16.78 million and Telemundo attracting around nine million. Looking ahead, Super Bowl LX in 2026 is expected to continue this trend of massive viewership, having averaged 125.6 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched Super Bowl in history. Additionally, the FIFA World Cup semifinals in 2026 attracted impressive numbers, averaging 15.09 million viewers on FOX and 10.6 million on Telemundo and Peacock.