Nearly 63 million Americans tuned in to watch Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday in New Jersey, shattering viewership records and underscoring soccer's growing appeal in the United States.

Fox's English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while Comcast's Telemundo and Peacock platforms drew 23.9 million for Spanish-language coverage. The combined audience far exceeded the 22.3 million US viewers who watched the 2022 final in Qatar.

The strong viewership capped what analysts called a solid tournament for broadcasters, with Fox and Comcast paying roughly $485 million and $600 million, respectively, for rights packages, according to media reports.

Several knockout matches outperformed recent championship games in other major US sports. The round-of-16 match between England and Mexico drew nearly 45 million viewers, well above the 27 million who watched Game 7 of MLB's World Series and the 25 million who tuned in for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

While still below the 126 million viewers for Super Bowl LX, the figures mark a milestone for soccer, long overshadowed by American football, basketball, and baseball in the US.

The World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico for the first time, benefited from prime-time kickoff slots for US audiences. Fans were also drawn by what could be the final World Cup appearances of stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The next World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in 2030, followed by Saudi Arabia in 2034. Both tournaments are likely to feature less favorable kickoff times for US viewers, which could weigh on future ratings.

Source: www.aljazeera.com