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This year’s World Cup returns to the summer months after the 2022 tournament took place during the fall. That tournament, won by Argentina, set records for viewership, but 2026 could fare even better.

Fox has multiple advantages set up for this year’s World Cup. Having the games take place in the summer means the soccer matches airing in the U.S. won’t have to compete against NFL or NCAA Football games such as the 2022 games.

The expansion to 48 teams also means 40 extra matches and a 63% increase in the base level of advertising slots, as reported by Sportico.

The 2026 World Cup means big money for Fox and Telemundo, a Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:CMCSA) unit that has the Spanish-language rights in the U.S.

Sportico estimates that the two media companies could see a combined $850 million in advertising spend during the 2026 World Cup. AdWeek previously reported that sponsorship packages were going for between $15 million and $50 million, with strong demand.

Also helping Fox is a pair of three-minute mandatory hydration breaks each match, one set for each half. Most soccer matches feature 45-minute halves with only a chance for advertisements before the match, during halftime and after the match. The added six minutes now alone the chance to sell six minutes each game for key viewership during matches.

The 2022 World Cup saw strong viewership in the U.S. throughout the tournament, even after Team USA was knocked out. The championship game set records for viewership with 25.78 million viewers.

In 2022, Apple signed a 10-year deal for the media rights to Major League Soccer. The games, which air on AppleTV have seen a boost in viewership this year.

MLS reported that it is averaging 7.9 million live match viewers a week through the first three months of this year’s season, up 62% year-over-year.

The U.S.-based soccer league often gets a boost in viewership and interest when the World Cup rolls around every four years, especially if Team USA is in the tournament.

The MLS is sending a record 44 active players to this year’s World Cup to play for Team USA and other countries.

Team USA has what many consider to be its best team in decades. That strong team along with homefield soil could see the American soccer team advancing far into the knockout stages.

The best finish by an American team in World Cup history is a third-place finish in 1930. In the modern era, the best finish is reaching the quarterfinals in 2022.

Similar odds on prediction market Kalshi show Team USA with a 1.6% chance of winning the World Cup, 48% chance of reaching the round of 16 and 40% chance of winning Group D.

A strong performance by Team USA at the World Cup could provide an immediate boost to the viewership of MLS, for which many of the top players play.

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