World Cup final draws record US audience, signals soccer's mainstream moment

July 21 : Nearly 63 million Americans tuned in to watch Spain beat Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday, shattering viewership records and underscoring soccer's growing appeal in the U.S. after decades of efforts to broaden its audience. Held in New Jersey, the final remained scoreless until Spain broke through in the 106th minute to secure a 1-0 victory. Fox's English-language broadcast attracted 38.9 million viewers, while Comcast's Telemundo and its Peacock streaming platform pulled in another 23.9 million viewers for the Spanish-language coverage, according to the companies. The combined audience far exceeded the 22.3 million viewers who watched the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.The strong viewership capped what analysts said was a solid run for the tournament's broadcasters