Dallas emerges as a soccer TV stronghold ahead of the 2026 World Cup
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is stepping into the global soccer spotlight with numbers that confirm what many locals already feel: this is one of the most passionate, soccer‑savvy markets in the United States.
Read more Dallas emerges as a soccer TV stronghold ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Leading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nielsen, a global data and analytics firm that acts as the leading provider of audience measurement, released a new report on U.S. soccer viewership trends.
The report highlights that among the 11 U.S. host cities, Dallas ranks fourth in total minutes of soccer viewed in 2025.
According to Nielsen, Dallas-Fort Worth residents consumed 1.8 billion minutes of soccer last year, trailing only Los Angeles (5.6 billion), New York/New Jersey (2.5 billion) and Houston (2.2 billion).
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Brian Hughes, director of data communications at Nielsen, said the data paints a clear picture of a region where the sport isn’t just growing — it’s already deeply rooted.
One of the main reasons D-FW posts such high viewership levels, Hughes said, is the region’s large Hispanic population.
According to the 2024 American Community Survey, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area has 2,371,052 Hispanic residents, representing 29.4% of the region’s total population.
Hughes noted that the vast majority of the top 20 soccer broadcasts in Dallas aired on Univision, reflecting a strong preference for Spanish language commentary.
“Spanish speakers tend to prefer to watch in Spanish because it’s a more exciting,” Hughes said.
More than 1.6 million D-FW residents speak Spanish at home, reinforcing the dominance of Spanish‑language soccer broadcasts.
Nielsen’s report that LaLiga (Spain) is the most‑watched soccer league in Dallas-Fort Worth, outperforming even the Premier League (England) and Liga MX (Mexico).
Hughes admitted he was surprised by the result. Liga MX is the top league nationally, and the Premier League has fueled a decadelong boom in American fandom. But in Dallas, Spanish‑language broadcasts and a growing appetite for European soccer appear to give LaLiga a unique edge.
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With Dallas set to host matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the city’s strong viewership base signals a ready‑made audience. Hughes believes all signs point toward record‑breaking national TV ratings.
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“This has everything going for it to be the most‑viewed World Cup ever,” he said, citing the sport’s explosive growth and favorable match times for American audiences.
For the 2026 World Cup, FOX Sports holds the English language rights in the U.S., broadcasting all 104 matches across FOX and FS1, while Telemundo and Peacock will handle Spanish language coverage.
Telemundo will feature Andrés Cantor as its star play‑by‑play announcer.
The Argentine commentator has become a cultural icon for Hispanic audiences thanks to his powerful, unmistakable “Goooooooool!” call.
His passionate style, combined with his storytelling ability and deep knowledge of the game, has even helped him cross over into the English language market.
“Andrés Cantor represents the essence of the passion with which all Hispanics enjoy soccer,” said Javier Salazar, a Fort Worth soccer fan originally from Mexico who moved to Texas in 2008.
The 41‑year‑old real estate investor said fans of his generation connect with Spanish language broadcasts because they offer a direct link to their roots.
“Spanish language broadcasts are much more entertaining,” Salazar said. “Latino announcers bring more emotion, and soccer is exactly that — emotion, feeling, is a part of our culture.”
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Salazar added that younger generations of Hispanics in the United States are increasingly crossing over to watching soccer in English, since they feel more comfortable hearing the match commentary in the language they use every day.
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With that, the question remains: Will Spanish language networks dominate World Cup viewership?
Hughes says it depends on the matchup. Games featuring Spanish speaking nations often tilt heavily toward Spanish language channels, but overall, Nielsen evaluates combined audiences across both languages.
Either way, Hughes said Dallas is expected to deliver some of the strongest TV viewership numbers in the country.
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