Thursday, November 5, 2026

World Cup’s USA-Iran Match Draws 12 Million Viewers

  • Viewership peaked at 15.6 million during USA’s final stressful moments.
  • Black Friday’s USA-England outpaced with an audience of 15.4 million.
USMNT Christian Pulisic attempts shot during World Cup match
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Fox Sports drew 12 million TV viewers for Tuesday’s USA-Iran World Cup group stage match.

Team USA’s 1-0 victory over Iran in Qatar averaged 12 million viewers, below USA’s Black Friday match against England, which drew 15.4 million.

But Tuesday’s match was an impressive number for a match that started at 2 p.m. ET when many soccer fans were still at work or school. 

  • Viewership peaked at 15.6 million viewers from 3:45 to 4 p.m. ET as the U.S. men’s national team tried to hang on and advance to the knockout stage.
  • Team USA’s three group stage matches against Iran, England, and Wales averaged 11.7 million viewers. That’s the highest figure for the men’s team at that stage. It also “easily beats” the average for every non-NFL TV show this fall, tweeted Fox executive Mike Mulvihill.
  • The top five TV markets were Washington D.C., Providence, Boston, Baltimore, and Kansas City.
  • USA vs. Iran was the most-streamed FIFA World Cup match in Fox Sports history, with an average minute audience of 959,004 viewers.
USMNT striker Josh Sargent heads ball towards Welsh goal during World Cup match

Fox Catching Flak For Tone-Deaf World Cup Coverage

Network’s early World Cup coverage ignores Qatar’s human rights record.
November 21, 2022

Fox, Telemundo, and Peacock will have another opportunity to score high ratings when Team USA plays the Netherlands on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

College Football TV Ratings Remain Down 11% Through October

Four games total have drawn an audience of 10 million or higher.
Pickering High School North

High School Athletic Directors Say They’re Running ‘Mini Colleges’

ADs are managing a growing list of demands from athletes and parents.
Mar 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; View of a camera with a Fox Sports logo before the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Fox Rides World Cup to $4.57B Quarter As Thanksgiving Hopes Fade

The network’s holiday hopes are dimming with a less attractive NFL matchup.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

11/5/26 – Owners’ $100M Midterm Miss, College Sports Bill’s Uncertain Future, Peyton Tops ‘MNF’ List

0:00

Featured Today

How Injuries Hit Pro Marathoners in the Wallet

Staying healthy can get expensive—quickly.
Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match
October 21, 2026

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee broadcasts live from the sidelines of Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA prior to the start of the Pittsburgh Panthers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish game on November 15, 2025.
Opinion

How Did Pat McAfee Get So Polarizing?

Some of the criticism is self-inflicted. Some of it is unfair.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; The ESPN logo at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Exclusive
November 3, 2026

ESPN Hires The Athletic Editorial Director Sergio Gonzalez

The move comes three months after ESPN eliminated Roxanna Scott’s editor-in-chief role.
Oct 31, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries players hold the trophy after winning the 2026 WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center
November 3, 2026

WNBA Finals Game 7 Draws 3.3M Viewers

The series averaged nearly 1.9 million viewers, the most for a Finals.
Sponsored

How Jeremy Bloom Is Reinventing the X Games

Jeremy Bloom discusses transforming the X Games into a global brand.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) talks to CW sports after the game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, November 22, 2025.
First at FOS
November 3, 2026

The CW Eyes TNT Sports Rights and More CFP Games

TNT Sports’s portfolio includes the NHL, MLB, and French Open.
Jul 11, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; ESPN reporter Michael Wilbon prior to the Phoenix Suns against the Milwaukee Bucks in game three of the 2021 NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
November 2, 2026

Michael Wilbon Takes Indefinite Leave From ESPN, PTI for Health Reasons

The longtime “PTI” cohost insists he’s not retiring.
February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson Jr. after the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 2, 2026

Ernie Johnson Wants NBA to Cut Regular Season Below 82 Games

The TNT Sports host specifically pointed to the Thunder’s recent injuries.
November 1, 2026

Tom Brady Curses on Air—Again

The FCC can issue fines or warnings for profanity on live television.