CUMULATIVE GLOBAL LIVE AUDIENCE = 10.8 BILLION VIEWERS
LONDON (DECEMBER 1, 2017) -- Futures Sport & Entertainment, a global consultancy that specializes in media analytics and optimization for rights holders and brands, issues viewership predictions for the 2018 FIFA World Cup based on today’s draw including total global viewership, which Group Play match will draw the most eyeballs, and what to expect in the final.
Futures Sport & Entertainment 2018 FIFA World Cup Predictions:
- Futures estimates the cumulative live global audience for the World Cup will be 10.8 billion, a 13% increase from the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This is attributed mostly to the fact that matches played in Russia generally take place at friendlier times for European and Asian audiences than the matches that were played in Brazil.
- Portugal vs. Spain is expected to attract the biggest audience of the 48 Group Stage matches due partly to the lure of both teams driving a “big game” effect, but also to the game being played in an optimal window for audiences in Europe and the Americas.
- The most likely final is Brazil v Germany (6% chance), and this would likely attract the 2nd highest viewership of all possible combinations, a cumulative global in-home audience that Futures predicts could be well over 500 million.
- By hosting the World Cup, Russia is expected to have their total audience boosted by 90% in comparison to what they’d get if they qualified for a tournament hosted in another country.
- Countries that don’t qualify for the World Cup (think Italy, The Netherlands and USA) typically see audiences fall by at least 35%.