• by Danny Weisman , Op-Ed Contributor, Yesterday

I have to come clean: I was wrong about the World Cup for brands.

Initial predictions warned marketers that the U.S., compared to other countries, showed only lukewarm public interest in the FIFA World Cup. Soccer has fewer natural commercial breaks than American sports (turns out hydration breaks solved that problem). And, if I'm being honest, I projected some of my own skepticism onto everyone else. I just don't get soccer as much as everyone else.

I can admit it, I was wrong.

The U.S. vs. Belgium match attracted 37.2 million viewers. By comparison, that would've made it the fourth-most-watched television event of 2025, outperforming a World Series Game 7 and just behind a Josh Allen-Lamar Jackson NFL playoff game. Fox's World Cup ratings climbed 92% compared to the previous tournament, while Telemundo's jumped 121%. Perhaps even more interesting, roughly one-quarter of Telemundo’s viewing happened outside the home—with some matches approaching 40%—at sports bars, watch parties, offices, and airports.

Where did I miss it? The lesson boiled down to five things: 

1. Convenience: U.S. start times put the games within easy reach for casual fans

For the first time in years, kickoff times actually worked for North American audiences. Casual viewers didn't have to wake up at dawn or rearrange their schedules. As every marketer knows, accessibility is key. 

2. Culture: The fusion between sports and gambling

I underestimated how much sports betting brings the juice to sports viewing. The United States' loss to Belgium generated more bets than every 2026 college football game outside the national championship, every NBA, NHL, and MLB championship game, and the men's NCAA basketball championship.

That result makes more sense when you zoom out. Americans wagered $165 billion on sports last year—more than they spent on books, movies, concerts, and sporting event tickets combined. Betting has become another layer of engagement that keeps people invested in games they otherwise might not watch. It's no longer a niche behavior; it's becoming part of how audiences consume live entertainment.

3. Scarcity: World Cup is the leap year of sports

The World Cup only comes around every four years. Scarcity creates urgency in a way weekly sports programming rarely can. We often talk about creating "can't miss" moments. Like the Olympics, it’s baked into the World Cup.

4. Momentum: The U.S. team ran further than expected

The World Cup arrived just as we were celebrating our 250th anniversary as a country. Audiences were tuned into a patriotic vibe and hungry for a win on a global stage. Across nearly all major professional sports, home teams statistically perform better on their own turf, and that translates to hyper-engaged audiences. 

5. Bias: Gut check your own personal preferences

I let my own lack of enthusiasm for soccer influence how I interpreted the opportunity. The research gave me reasons to be skeptical, but I was too quick to see those reasons as confirmation that audiences would feel the same way I did. I may not have understood the appeal, but in the future, I will challenge that instinct by connecting with the true fans of the sport to compensate for any blind spots in thinking.

And as we look forward, here's the question you should be asking: Was this a World Cup story—or a soccer story?

Those aren't the same thing.

Tournament viewing benefited from massive out-of-home audiences, communal experiences, and the novelty of an event that comes around once every four years. The real test comes when MLS resumes or when the Premier League returns on August 21. Will millions of newly minted soccer fans stay engaged, or do they disappear once the watch parties end, kickoff times become less convenient, and the NFL dominates attention again? 

We’ll see.