Research: US World Cup absence fails to deter viewers
June 19, 2018
Despite the absence of the US national football side, 90 per cent of Americans plan to watch as much or more of this World Cup than the prior tournament, according to research from social media data and analytics firm Shareablee.
And despite the challenges presented by the time difference of the games broadcast from Russia and the increased availability of the games and clips on digital platforms, most Americans plan to watch the games on TV (66 per cent).
According to Shareablee, digital platforms will play an important role, with about half of Americans planning on using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) to follow the World Cup, while another 35 per cent are considering doing so. The biggest reason to follow the World Cup on social media is to watch match highlights (69 per cent), as well as to learn more about competing teams (40 per cent) and athletes (24 per cent).
Shareablee says nearly 50 per cent of the Americans watching the World Cup are drawn to a specific team (44 per cent) while a smaller percentage (20 per cent) are following a specific player. And since the US is not competing, the top three teams US fans are generally cheering for are Brazil, Germany, and Spain, respectively, although 55-64 year olds in particular reported a strong preference for England (followed by Brazil and Spain).