U.S. remains in the World Cup, boosting domestic viewership
Yahoo Finance Live anchors discuss the U.S. team’s latest World Cup win and how it’s impacting domestic viewership.
Video Transcript
- Well, US viewership of the 2022 World Cup has surged compared to previous years, as the US team remains in competition. Fox Sports, which retains rights to the English broadcast has an average of 3.15 million viewers per game, this compared to just 2.19 million back in 2008. That's according to data, at least from the "Hollywood Reporter."
Now remember that in 2018, the US did not qualify for the cup. The statistics come as live events like sports increasingly become the focus for streaming, services like Apple and Amazon. Rachelle, I can't seem necessarily surprised, right? The US is still in the thick of things. I'd imagine there's a huge support system behind it, but certainly a big win for Fox.
You've also got-- we should point out sort of the Spanish language broadcasts that have been in the US too, Telemundo seeing a big bump out of this too, and then of course, Peacock, so kind of a win all around, if you did go in on what was kind of a controversial World Cup going into the start of all this.
- It was. And obviously, you have that backdrop. But then once the matches started, I mean, you had some of the controversy pop up. But people seem to be all in on this. And it does help when you have a team as big as the US going in and making it through to the round of 16. It just really builds to the excitement. And we're seeing it not just with advertisers, also with sports betting.
We saw that Americans plan to spend about $1.8 billion according to the American Gaming Association. And globally, $35 billion people are going to be spending on sports betting, so a lot at stake here for the people betting, for the advertisers, and every step a bit more exciting, a bit more pressure, a bit more blood pressure, but it just makes it that more exciting. And it's a social event. You have people on social media going back and forth about it. I love it. I'm a world Cup fan. England and Ghana are my team's in this. And we also made it through to the 16.
- Oh, there you go. See? Yeah, England and Ghana. I have to say the US and Japan, which, by the way, is playing against Spain, sort of on the edge here. But I'm going to say something that I know that everybody who watches soccer/football hates, which is how disappointing it is at the end of 90 minutes when you're left with a draw. I will never get over that. I want a score at the end that feels satisfying.
- Well, once you get into the knockout stages now, now come the penalties. Now comes the real pressure. It's really going to be on at this point. Once you reach the knockout stages, all bets are off. It's do or die. Go big or go home. And unfortunately, England does not have the best reputation when it comes to penalties. I think I was in tears the last time.
But you know, anything can happen. That's the magic of the World Cup. I mean, look at Tunisia. They beat reigning champs France. Unfortunately, they didn't make it through to the round of 16. But at least they were like, look, we beat the best, so not mad at it. Good for them.
- Yeah, you talk about England--
- I will do a final check of-- you know, well, that's always ending in tears for the most part.
