SBS Scores Biggest-Ever FIFA World Cup Reach - Content + Technology
Cumulative Total TV reach for the tournament now stands at 18. 04 million, meaning 64 per cent of Australia’s population watched some of the tournament. Total consumption has exceeded 209 million hours. Despite. . .
Cumulative Total TV reach for the tournament now stands at 18. 04 million, meaning 64 per cent of Australia’s population watched some of the tournament. Total consumption has exceeded 209 million hours. Despite the Socceroos’ early departure in the knockout rounds, Australian fans continued to flock to the closing stages of the tournament. The final became the most-watched World Cup match in SBS history, surpassing the Socceroos’ final group match against Paraguay, which achieved a Total TV reach of 4. 87 million. The Total TV average audience was 2. 7 million, with more than 56. 5 per cent watching the match on SBS On Demand. The post-match show reached more than 3. 7 million viewers and was the second most-watched programme of the day. On Sunday morning, 2. 8 million viewers witnessed a goal-fest as England defeated France 6–4 to secure third place in the tournament, with an average audience of 1. 4 million. The match also topped the daily VOZ rankings. Seventeen matches reached more than two million viewers each during the tournament, including four matches that exceeded four million viewers. Of the 104 World Cup matches, 62 reached more than one million viewers, representing almost 60 per cent of the tournament. SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said: “This has been an unprecedented FIFA World Cup in its size, complexity and intrigue, and Australians have embraced it in extraordinary numbers. In our 40 years of broadcasting the tournament, we’ve never seen engagement at this level. The Socceroos captured the imagination of the nation, but people stayed for the rest of the tournament as it delivered remarkable football and unforgettable moments right through to Spain’s victory in the final. “Throughout the past six weeks, we saw football’s unique ability to bring people together and celebrate the many cultures and communities that make our country so diverse. That’s what has always made the FIFA World Cup so special, and why SBS has been proud to bring it to Australians for the past 40 years. We never take that responsibility for granted, and we’re incredibly grateful to have shared this remarkable journey with millions of people. ”Spain v ArgentinaTotal TV ReachTotal TV Average AudienceBVOD ContributionSpain v Argentina – Pre1,159,000227,00019. 6%Spain v Argentina – Live5,262,0002,691,00056. 5%Spain v Argentina – Post3,701,0001,648,00044. 5%World Cup matches consistently ranked among the top 10 programmes of the day from the beginning of the tournament on 12 June, Australian time. The World Cup broadcast struck a particular chord with younger viewers, consistently ranking number one in the VOZ daily ratings among people aged 16–39. Top Matches to 20 JulyTotal TV ReachTotal TV Average AudienceBVOD ContributionSpain v Argentina Final – Live5,262,0002,691,00056. 5%Paraguay v Australia – Live4,869,0003,097,00047. 0%Australia v Türkiye – Live4,851,0003,085,00044. 4%Norway v England QF – Live4,409,0002,418,00056. 1%Australia v Egypt – Live3,896,0002,208,00046. 5%Argentina v Switzerland QF – Live3,783,0001,919,00055. 4%USA v Australia – Live3,482,0002,208,00046. 1%England v Argentina SF – Live3,391,0001,877,00064. 2%Mexico v England – Live2,937,0001,683,00063. 6%France v England Third-Place Play-Off – Live2,773,0001,407,00054. 7%SBS Sport’s social media platforms generated more than 1. 5 billion video views and 1. 6 billion impressions across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. The SBS Sport TikTok platform grew substantially during the World Cup and is now the second-largest TikTok broadcaster account in Australia, with 3. 7 million followers. Hyundai, Hisense, Macca’s, Rexona, bet365, Commonwealth Bank and Youi were commercial partners of SBS’s broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Audience Testimonials“I would like to thank you for the wonderful coverage of the World Cup 2026. I thought that, given the current world, I would have to get one or more streaming services to watch the Cup. But to have it all available free-to-air on SBS, where it truly belongs, has been wonderful. So thank you. I’ve also been exposed to advertisements showing how many great programmes SBS has, so I will be watching more SBS in the future. ”“Hello, SBS legends. I feel the need to congratulate you on flawlessly bringing Australia the finest coverage of football I’ve ever experienced. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself when it’s over tomorrow. Thank you for the perfect live streams and the mini-match choices, the accessibility and the social media posts. We couldn’t have wished for anything more. Seriously, SBS, you smashed it. Thank you. ”“As an avid and long-term football fan, I’ve been watching SBS’s range of coverage ‘forever’. You’ve had wonderful commentators and spokespeople over the decades, but your choice of the current group is inspired. New faces, experienced players, informed commentary, internationals, males and females. Your coverage and the people involved have been simply excellent. Well done, SBS. I’m so pleased you had the rights. ”“Just wanted to let you know SBS On Demand has been fantastic, with live and on-demand options, full games, mini matches and extended highlights, and it is really easy to navigate. All free for me, with just advertisements to watch and a timer on the advertisements, which is very appreciated. Great work. ”“Just want to thank you for the amazingly professional coverage of the FIFA World Cup. I’m not generally interested in watching sport on television, but your coverage is so well done that I’ve been watching a lot. I also love being able to see the world coming together in times of international conflict. ”Visithttps://www. sbs. com. au