The 2026 World Cup was the most watched in history.
About 1.5 billion people are estimated to have tuned into the final as Spain beat a pitiful Argentina to stitch a second star above their crest and, in all likelihood, end the World Cup career of Lionel Messi.
The viewing figures in the US alone are the best in history. Fox and Telemundo achieved highs of nearly 30 million for the USMNT and Mexico’s knockout games, far higher than any previous edition.
The $485m that Fox paid for the rights was, industry experts universally agree, a steal.
When FIFA next go to market with the US rights, they will likely look for at least double, perhaps even treble or quadruple that sum, especially if hydration breaks – which allow broadcasters to smuggle in more adverts – are here to stay.
But the linear TV market is not where FIFA see its biggest growth opportunities, despite delivering in the region of $4.3bn to FIFA in this cycle alone. Social media – and particularly YouTube and TikTok – are now seen as the new frontier for rightsholders.
And FIFA has revealed just how successful their strategy across these platforms was at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
World Cup delivered astonishing TikTok numbers
This tournament, FIFA signed a preferred platform agreement with TikTok, the short-form video network.
Under the terms of the deal, broadcasters were allowed to air up to 10 minutes of their World Cup matches through TikTok and use the platform’s monetisation tools to generate revenue. Another deal with YouTube was also struck, permitting broadcasters to share highlights packages on the platform and even stream some matches in full via the Google-owned site.
Today, TikTok has announced that the official World Cup account generated north of 24 billion views throughout the tournament.
With the average player age at the World Cup standing at 28, it is perhaps the first edition of the tournament which was truly native to Generation Z.
There have been a number of standout social media stories involving players, such as the breakout in the US for Norway’s Erling Haaland and the incredible Instagram rise of Cape Verde’s veteran goalkeeper Vozinha.
Ahead of the next World Cup in 2030, FIFA will likely be focusing increasingly on vertical video, just like many in Hollywood are.
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