Digital Live Sports Viewers Will Outnumber Traditional TV in 2026

The 2026 World Cup final proved live sports commands a massive audience, drawing 66.4 million average viewers across every platform that carried the match, making it the highest-rated TV event since Super Bowl LX. Fox and its platforms brought in 42.5 million English-language viewers, while Telemundo and Peacock delivered another 23.9 million for Spanish-language streams. The even bigger story is the growth: Fox’s tournament average jumped 116% over the 2022 World Cup, and Telemundo and Peacock viewership surged 143%. Fans showed up in force, and across more screens than ever.

That spread is exactly what advertisers chasing live sports viewers want to see. EMARKETER forecasts 122.7 million US adults will watch live sports digitally this year, outpacing the 110.3 million still tuning in on traditional TV, with digital viewership rising 6.1% while traditional slips 3.3%. Something interesting is happening with viewing preferences, too: younger fans favor clips, with 47% of Gen Zers saying they prefer watching highlights over full games. Brands that keep a consistent message while tailoring creative to each screen have the best chance to reach these fans wherever they go for the game.

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