Record‑Breaking Viewership
Fox’s broadcast of the USMNT’s Round of 32 victory over Bosnia‑Herzegovina has etched itself into U.S. sports history as the most‑watched English‑language soccer telecast ever. The match attracted an average audience of 24.429 million viewers, with a peak of 31.883 million tuning in at some point during the broadcast.
The previous benchmark had stood at 18.037 million viewers, set during the USMNT’s group‑stage opener against Paraguay. That figure was surpassed by more than six million viewers, underscoring the growing appetite for soccer in the United States.
Not all knockout‑stage games performed equally. The USMNT’s subsequent win over Australia, while still a strong showing, drew 16.22 million viewers in final ratings, a respectable number but well below the Bosnia‑Herzegovina peak.
Analyst Outlook
Michael Mulvihill, Fox’s President of insights and analytics, had warned that the knockout rounds could generate even larger numbers. He projected that a deep USMNT run to the final might attract as many as 50 million viewers, a figure that would dwarf any previous soccer broadcast in the country.
The team’s next opponent, Belgium, presents a fresh test of audience appetite. Early indicators suggest that the upcoming match could push viewership even higher, continuing a trend that has already broken historic records.