US Viewers Spent 79.8bn Minutes Watching Soccer Matches
US viewers spent nearly 80 billion minutes watching soccer matches in 2025, according to a new report from Nielsen.
Heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026, Nielsen’s new soccer report demonstrates the rise in popularity of the world’s most popular sport in the US.
Nielsen’s report, Get Ready with Media Intelligence: 2026 FIFA World Cup Edition delves into a number of key areas of interest to marketers including viewership trends, engagement trends and local market impact.
“To understand where fans are watching and how they engage with the world’s most popular sport, Nielsen is sharing our new proprietary insights and capabilities around the World Cup to arm and empower our clients to thrive during this iconic moment in our sporting history,” said Seth Ladetsky, Head of Global Sports, Nielsen.
Viewer Trends:
– US viewers spent 79.8 billion minutes watching soccer matches in 2025
– 33% of the general US population expects their interest in soccer to increase over the next 18 months
– 64% of U.S. soccer fans expect their interest in soccer to increase over the next 18 months
– 56% of current U.S. soccer fans expect their interest to increase specifically because of the upcoming World Cup
Viewer interest in international soccer tournaments has been on the rise in the US: in 2024 the average audience for Copa América more than doubled compared to 2021, and in 2025, both the UEFA Women’s Euro and the CONCACAF Gold Cup saw significant increases.
The top three football/soccer leagues based on viewership in 2025
Liga MX 2
UEFA Champions League
Premier League
At 79.5%, US soccer fans strongly over-index the general population (61.9%) in the use of social media for sports news and content, regardless of platform. Aligning with soccer themed channels and working with sports creators are just some ways brands can seize upon social opportunities to engage fans during the World Cup.
Millennials edge out Gen Z as the top second screeners. Unsurprisingly, soccer fans across generations are actively engaged on second screens while watching sports, with 86% of Millennials and 83.2% of GenZ outpacing soccer fans in general at 79.4%.
Social media is a primary second screen activity, but there are others that present interesting “ways in” for marketers during the World Cup–like playing games, ordering food, or reading news related to sporting events.
American soccer fans are more likely than the general population to listen to radio and podcasts for sports news, and 77% report that they use those mediums specifically for soccer content.
All of these non-TV outlets offer opportunities for brands to either extend reach or connect with World Cup viewers in other ways.
More information on Get Ready with Media Intelligence: 2026 FIFA World Cup Edition can be found HERE
