US audience struck by World Cup fever

IN America, World Cup viewing figures have really cemented the sport’s new place in the mainstream. Fox’s audience for last Saturday’s dramatic Croatia-Russia showdown was the biggest return in the US for a game in the competition since Italia ‘90.

Indeed, the total Fox viewing figures for the quarter-final came extremely close to the audience for the NBA playoffs which is a very notable breakthrough.

There were fears that the USA’s failure to qualify would have grim consequences and that was reflected by disappointing audiences at the group stage phase but it seems that the American public have got caught up in the moment.

Granted, the emigrant populations are a major factor – USA had the second highest number of tickets sold but that would have included a significant amount of Mexicans.

Still, it bodes well for the likelihood of 2026 striking a chord in a way that the 1994 tournament did not.