Survey: Just 13% of U.S. Viewers ‘Typically’ Plan to Watch World Cup

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This is much lower than markets like the U.K., where nearly half of viewers say they ‘typically’ plan to watch, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence

U.S. fans
(Image credit: Getty Images)

NEW YORK—While U.S. interest in soccer continues to grow and viewing of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is projected to rise, new survey data across seven major markets shows the nation still lags the Europe and Asia-Pacific regions in men’s World Cup viewing, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Only 13% of U.S. online adults surveyed said they “typically” watch World Cup matches, compared to nearly half of U.K. respondents and 28–43% of respondents in other surveyed markets.

(Image credit: S&P Global Market Intelligence)

Demographic patterns reveal a male-heavy audience, with splits approaching 70% men and 30% women in the U.S. and China and 57%-43% in India.

S&P Global Market Intelligence data

(Image credit: S&P Global Market Intelligence)

Cross-sport engagement is extensive. U.S. World Cup fans heavily favor football (78%) and basketball (70%), while cricket dominates India (89%), baseball peaks in South Korea (64%) and European markets show the strongest overlap with tennis viewership.

Younger cohorts show a more balanced gender mix, but the gap widens substantially among older viewers

(Image credit: S&P Global Market Intelligence)
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George Winslow
George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.