Now that the FIFA World Cup is over, Fox has released data showing which cities in the United States were most interested in the tournament. Kansas City leads the way.
Fox released the top-15 local markets based on average household ratings and share for its English-language World Cup coverage. Household ratings measure the percentage of homes watching a program, while share measures the percentage of TVs in use that were tuned to the broadcast.
The data released by Fox is for English-language coverage only.
Kansas City easily led the way in terms of ratings, averaging a 4.89 rating and a 20 share throughout the tournament. That means that, on average, 4.89% of households in the Kansas City were watching the World Cup when a match was on, while 20% of households watching television while a match was on were tuned to the tournament. The data doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as Kansas City has long declared itself “the Soccer Capital of America.”
Boston, Austin, San Francisco, Dallas, San Diego, and Atlanta also all had ratings above 3.5, though all, unlike Kansas City, were below 4. Of those markets, San Francisco led with a 21 share.
The Heart of America 🇺🇸 Kansas City, Boston and Austin lead the way as Top Local Markets for FIFA World Cup 2026™ on FOX and FS1. 🏆⚽️📺 pic.twitter.com/AjGY7oDX2s — FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) July 22, 2026
These ratings may seem low, particularly as Nielsen has greatly expanded how out-of-home viewing factors into the audience figures typically publicized by networks. But, by definition, out-of-home viewing does not factor into household ratings.
There are a few interesting ways this data could be used to further soccer in the United States, especially as the youth soccer development system comes under increased scrutiny. Cities where soccer appears to have captivated interest during the World Cup could become natural candidates for expanded youth development efforts.
Also worth noting, of the seven markets with an average rating above 3.5, only one (San Francisco) does not currently have an MLS team. The area did, however, host six matches during the tournament, including a USMNT game in the Round of 32.
The numbers should also provide a useful benchmark ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Comparing local ratings four years from now could offer one of the clearest indicators of whether hosting the 2026 tournament produced a lasting increase in soccer interest across the United States.
Source: Awful Announcing
