FOX Sports has kicked off the Euro 2024 tournament with a bang, recording impressive viewership ratings during the opening weekend. The sports broadcasting giant reported an average of 1.1 million viewers for the inaugural match on American television, setting a promising tone for the rest of the tournament.
The tournament began on Friday with hosts Germany trouncing Scotland by a score of 5-1. Despite being aired at 3 p.m. ET on a typical workday, this fixture attracted significant attention from American soccer fans.
The viewership statistics only increased from there, with Spain's crushing victory in Croatia match and Italy's win against Albania drawing in even more spectators. An estimated four million people across America watched as reigning European champions Italy won their first match of the tournament.
Record-breaking England-Serbia match
However, it was Sunday afternoon's nail-biting game England vs Serbia that stole the show. The Three Lions narrowly defeated their opponents as an astounding 1.8 million Americans tuned in to watch live action unfold on FOX Sports.
Viewership peaked at an impressive figure of 2.2 million between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m., making it the most-watched Euros group stage match on English-language American TV since records began in 2012. Interestingly enough, these figures were achieved despite coinciding with golf’s U.S Open final day - another event that traditionally draws high ratings among American audiences.
Overall, FOX Sports saw a remarkable increase in ratings compared to previous years - up by about one-third from Euro Cup's opening weekend back in June of last year (2020). From Friday’s opening game through Sunday afternoon’s England-Serbia showdown, FOX and FS1 averaged around about approximately *1.2 million viewers*. This figure represents a 33% increase compared to the opening weekend of Euro 2020.
The impact of Copa America
Despite these impressive numbers, it remains unclear whether FOX Sports can maintain this level of viewership. The upcoming Copa America 2024 tournament, which is set to begin in the United States on June 20, could potentially impact Euro 2024's ratings.
While the two tournaments will not clash on television - with Euro games being played in mornings and afternoons and Copa America fixtures happening at night - it will be interesting to see how much soccer Americans are willing to consume each day.
Given that the US Men's National Team (USMNT) is featuring in Copa America, some soccer fans may choose not to watch matches from sunrise to sunset each day. If so, this could lead to a potential drop in Euro 2024 broadcasting figures.
However, even if this occurs, FOX Sports won't be too concerned as they also hold television rights for Copa America here in the United States. Regardless of where American soccer fans choose to tune their attention during these overlapping tournaments, FOX Sports stands poised for success.
