Fox Sports' Summer of Soccer couldn't have gone any better, as the network aired both the UEFA European Championship and CONMEBOL Copa America throughout June and July, racking up massive viewership and great matches.
Now, Ben Valenta, Fox Sports' senior vice president of strategy and analytics, has said the company intends to double down on its investment in international sporting events and continue to unleash the power of its Fox broadcasting networks in the two years leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“This is the start of the event,” Valenta said in an interview. Sports Media Podcasts from Sports Business Journal “We all have our eyes on the 2026 World Cup in North America. If there were anyone who questioned our strategic choice to focus on international competition, we believe any backlash has now subsided,” the statement said on Wednesday.
Fox averaged 6.4 million viewers for Sunday's Euros final and 60.2 million for the Copa America final that same night, both of which were the most-watched games of either tournament in U.S. broadcast history.
In addition to acquiring the rights to those two tournaments and the FIFA World Cup, Fox will also broadcast the CONCACAF Gold Cup, UEFA Nations League and USA Basketball exhibitions.
While the early round matches were split between FS1 and Fox, the network aired both weekend final matches on its own broadcast network to maximize reach.
“I think there's a growing understanding both inside and outside the company of the power of broadcast, and we intend to continue to pursue that strategy into 2026,” Valenta told host Austin Karp. “So I think this puts us on a very solid footing as we look to the future.”
With growing interest in soccer across the United States, evidenced by record ratings for international tournaments and overseas domestic leagues like the English Premier League, it's no wonder Fox has high hopes for the 2026 World Cup.
“We've been bullish on 2026 for many years, but today's announcement gives us even more confidence that the winds are blowing in the right direction,” Valenta said.
[The Sports Media Podcast]
