Americans Only Watch World Cup Soccer When Americans Are Playing
- U.S. team’s four games dominated nation’s viewership in 2014
- With U.S. out of 2018 cup, Fox, Telemundo will rely on Mexico
Team USA's World Cup Bid Ends Hurting Fox, Sponsors
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If ratings from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil are any guide, the elimination of the U.S. men’s soccer team from the field for the 2018 World Cup in Russia spells gloom for Fox Sports and Telemundo, which hold the domestic rights to the event.
Fox is paying more than $400 million for English-language broadcast rights for 2018 and 2022. Telemundo is spending about $600 million for the Spanish-language rights. Three years ago, when those rights were held by ESPN/ABC and Univision, U.S. matches drew four of the six largest audiences across the monthlong event.