2018 FIFA World Cup™ Knockout Stage Off To Hot Start on FOX
Uruguay vs. Portugal is Most-Watched English-Language Men’s Soccer Match in the U.S. Since 2014 World Cup Final
Uruguay’s 2-1 Win Over Portugal Peaks at 7,070,000
NEW YORK & MOSCOW – The 2018 FIFA World Cup™ knockout stage on FOX got off to a scorching start, as French teenager Kylian Mbappe ran past Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Edinson Cavani’s Uruguay defeated Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal. Uruguay’s 2-1 win over Portugal drew 5,879,000 viewers on FOX, according to Nielsen Media Research, and is the most-watched English-language soccer telecast in the U.S. since the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final on FOX.
Uruguay-Portugal is the most-watched English-language men’s soccer telecast in the U.S. since the 2014 World Cup Final, and drew a combined viewership of 6,162,000 on FOX and streaming sources. Viewership on FOX (5,879,000) is up +13% over the corresponding 2014 match (vs. 5,194,000 for Colombia-Uruguay) and peaked at 7,070,000 viewers from 3:30-3:45 PM ET.
Earlier in the day, France’s 4-3 win over Argentina delivered 4,975,000 on FOX and streaming sources. With viewership of 4,690,000 on the FOX broadcast network, the match is up +63% over the equivalent match for the 2010 World Cup, which was played in a comparable time zone (vs. 2,881,000 for Uruguay vs. South Korea) and up +54% from the comparable match in 2006 (vs. 3,046,000 for Germany-Sweden). France-Argentina peaked from 11:45 AM-12:00 PM ET with 6,172,000 viewers.
2018 FIFA World Cup™ matches on FOX and FS1 now account for the six most-watched English-language men’s soccer telecasts in the U.S. since the 2014 World Cup Final:
- Uruguay vs. Portugal – 5,879,000 on FOX
- Germany vs. Sweden – 5,452,000 on FOX
- France vs. Argentina – 4,690,000 on FOX
- Korea Republic vs. Mexico – 4,485,000 on FOX
- Poland vs. Colombia – 4,417,000 on FOX
- Brazil vs. Switzerland – 4,147,000 on FS1
FOX streaming services delivered an average minute audience of 283,000 yesterday, a +55% increase over the 2018 Group Stage average. Following match action, FIFA WORLD CUP NOW, hosted by Rachel Bonnetta live on Twitter, had its second-best day with 381,000 views, a +30% increase over the show’s Group Stage average. Overall, FIFA WORLD CUP NOW has amassed 4.8 million views.
Viewership of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ on FOX and FS1 stretches from coast to coast with top 10 markets to-date of Washington D.C., Miami, San Francisco, Austin, Providence, San Diego, New York, West Palm Beach, Los Angeles and Tulsa.
RELATED METERED MARKET NUMBERS:
2018 FIFA World Cup™ Knockout Round is off to Hot Start on FOX
