Turkey defeated the USMNT 3-2 in stoppage time. America watched anyway — in massive numbers. The USMNT’s group stage finale against Türkiye drew 17,015,000 viewers on FOX Sports, making it the second most-watched USMNT telecast in English-language U.S. history.
What We Know: The final viewership figure of 17,015,000 trails only the USMNT-Paraguay opener (18,039,000 viewers on June 12). The match also ranked as the most-watched telecast of the day across all networks. Peak audience hit 19,471,000 viewers from 10:30–10:45 PM ET — remarkable for a late-night kickoff. Kansas City led all local markets with an 11.22 rating and a 37 share.
What The Data Shows: (All Viewership Data via FOX Sports)
| USMNT Game | Average Viewership | Peak Viewership |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 – vs. Paraguay (W) | 18,037,000 | 21,526,000 |
| Game 2 – vs. Australia (W) | 16,217,000 | 21,219,000 |
| Game 3 – vs. Türkiye (L) | 17,015,000 | 19,471,000 |
What Remains Unclear: Spanish-language numbers from Telemundo have not yet been confirmed for the Turkey match. It also remains to be seen whether FOX will release updated streaming data from Tubi, which contributed to the finalized Paraguay figures.
What It Means: The United States is catching FIFA World Cup fever. With elevated viewership of the United States matches, there’s also been high interest across the country the later in the tournament we get. Even with nothing at stake and a late start, nearly 17 million Americans tuned in. Moreover, the knockout rounds feature primetime windows — a significant advantage the group stage finale did not have. If FOX Sports’ trajectory holds, the USMNT’s Round of 32 matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina could approach or surpass the Paraguay record.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
