The popularity of football has shown no signs of slowing down this year, with fans worldwide clamouring to engage with the sport in 2024.
Advancements in digital technology have helped football become one of the most streamed sports on the planet, further cementing its lofty status.
Viewership records have repeatedly been broken this year, and the trend looks set to continue with more major events on the agenda next year and beyond.
Asia and Africa dominate the early part of the year
The AFC Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) took centre stage during the early part of the year, and fans could not get enough of both tournaments.
The cumulative viewership in the Middle East and North Africa soared to 707.3 million for the AFC Asian Cup, with the final between Jordan and Qatar attracting 69 million viewers.
The prestigious tournament was broadcast in more than 160 territories through partnerships with 60 media networks and over 120 channels.
It was a similar story in Africa, with a cumulative global audience of over 1.4 billion viewers tuning in to watch as Ivory Coast hosted the latest edition of the AFCON.
A unique audience of 10.3 million viewers watched the semi-final between Nigeria and South Africa, setting a new viewership record for the tournament.
With 2.1bn digital engagements and 3.1bn views on TikTok videos, AFCON organisers could bask in the glory of delivering a hugely successful festival of football.
European club football takes centre stage in May and June
Official viewing figures for the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City were not disclosed, although broadcasters declared they were happy with the engagement.
The match was broadcast live on both BBC and ITV in the United Kingdom, providing fans with free-to-air access that ensured broad viewership.
The latter stages of the Champions League also generated plenty of interest, especially the final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
The Wembley Stadium showpiece garnered over 450m viewers, placing a substantial cherry on top of the cake for the biggest club game in European football.
CBS and Paramount+ reported record-breaking streaming numbers throughout the season in the United, cementing the growing shift towards viewing online.
Social media activity was also off the scale, with millions of fans posting comments, debating key moments and sharing Champions league-related content.
International tournaments light up the summer schedule
The UEFA European Championship and Copa America tournaments were the highlights of the summer schedule and both attracted plenty of interest.
Euro 2024 had a cumulative global audience of over five billion viewers, making it the most-watched sports event of 2024 ahead of the Summer Olympic Games.
The final between Spain and England attracted a peak audience of 24.2m viewers across the BBC and ITV in the United Kingdom alone, with a sizeable proportion watching via streaming services.
Copa America also hit the spot with fans, particularly in Brazil, where viewership increased by 82% from the 2021 edition to 84.6m.
The US played a significant role in boosting engagement with the tournament despite the team failing to get past the group stage.
Cop America viewership in the US averaged 1.1m viewers – a massive increase from the 216,000 average at the 2021 edition of the tournament.
Return of the Premier League sets the stage for more engagement
The start of the English Premier League season sparked plenty of interest, with Sky Sports reporting a 40% increase in viewers for the opening weekend compared to last year.
Viewing figures in the United States and South Asia also jumped significantly, highlighting the league’s growing appeal in international markets.
Comprehensive broadcast coverage has not impacted in-stadium attendances, with Premier League games repeatedly selling out during the first few months of the season.
Engagement looks set to continue apace during the rest of the campaign as teams bid for glory at the top of the table and strive to stay in the league at the bottom.
The culmination of the title race will be one of the most watched events in the 2025 sporting events calendar and it will be intriguing to see which team emerges victorious.
With the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada now firmly on the horizon, football is guaranteed to keep dominating the global headlines.
The final word
Viewing figures and engagement have been off charts in during 2024, underpinning football’s status as the most popular sport in the world.