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Despite an ugly finish to Copa América in Miami, the $72 million tournament and its European counterpart shattered several international soccer viewership records Stateside.
After Argentina and Spain won their respective finals Sunday, the audience numbers show that Fox Sports aired the most-watched Copa América and UEFA Euros in U.S. English-language TV history. Here’s the viewership breakdown.
Finals
- Argentina-Colombia: 6.02 million
- Spain-England: 6.43 million
Total tournament average
- Copa América: 1.42 million
- Euro 2024: 1.67 million
The Euro 2024 final was Fox’s most-watched non–World Cup soccer broadcast, with the Copa América final coming in second. The total Euro viewership average is up 34% from the 2021 tournament on ESPN. The total Copa América audience average is up 44% from ’16, which was the last time the tournament was played in the U.S.
Messi Mania
Lionel Messi (above, second from left) exited Sunday’s final after sustaining an ankle injury early in the second half, but his presence throughout Copa América helped drive interest after the U.S. failed to reach the knockout round. The semifinals averaged 2.07 million viewers on FS1, with Miami—where Messi plays in MLS—coming in as the highest-rated market.
Messi will miss at least a couple of matches, but he could return for the start of the Leagues Cup later this month. Last year, the superstar helped Inter Miami go from the worst team in MLS to the winners of the expanded tournament, which carried a $40 million prize fund, with Mexico’s Liga MX.
More Soccer on the Way
Fox also has media rights to the FIFA World Cup, which will be played in North America in 2026. But FIFA has yet to select a broadcast partner for next year’s Club World Cup, which is expanding from seven to 32 teams, and it is also set to be played in the U.S.
This week, FIFA opened up bidding for media rights to the 2025 and ’29 editions of the revamped tournament. The deadline for submitting bids is Aug. 20. Earlier this year, Apple was said to be close to a deal for global rights to the Club World Cup, according to The New York Times. But with FIFA’s latest move, that appears to be off the table.
The Club World Cup will feature top European clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City. As of now, Messi is not set to play because Inter Miami is not qualified. However, FIFA will award one final spot to a club representing the host nation this year. Criteria for that selection have not been revealed, but if Inter Miami should win the MLS Cup (the club currently has the league’s second-best record), it could be a logical choice.
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