Nielsen has reported higher U.S. soccer audiences among younger viewers following the 2026 men’s World Cup, according to findings released Tuesday at Front Office Sports’ Tuned In summit.
For 10 Major League Soccer matches on FOX and FS1, audiences among adults 18–34 increased 29% compared with regular-season matches before the tournament. Viewership among men 18–34 rose 55%. The sample excludes MLS coverage on Apple TV.
Premier League viewership among adults 18–34 increased 30%, with Spanish-language broadcasts included in the reported comparison. LaLiga coverage on ESPN platforms rose 60% among that age group.
Across its English- and Spanish-language broadcasts, LaLiga’s overall audience increased 42% year over year, Front Office Sports reported.
Separately, Nielsen’s Fan Insights research put the number of U.S. residents identifying as soccer fans at 75.2 million in July 2026, up 13% from 66.8 million a year earlier. That measure describes fan interest, rather than the television audience for an individual match.
Photograph: Hayden Schiff / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0. Display crop.
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