WORLD CUP QUARTERFINALS CRUSH US VIEWERSHIP RECORDS

Once the teams representing the United States, Mexico, and Canada were eliminated, there were concerns that US viewers would abandon the World Cup. That was definitely not the case. Even if quarterfinal ratings didn’t reach the 33 million who watched the US/Mexico in the previous round, they were still record-setting. Saturday’s match between England and Norway drew 21.8 million viewers on Fox, per same-day Nielsen ratings. The evening match between Argentina and Switzerland was right behind that with 18.15 million. Weekday matches brought in smaller audiences; Thursday’s and Friday’s broadcasts delivered 10.25 million and 9.87 million viewers, respectively. It’s likely that once the figures for people watching in bars and on their work computers (don’t deny it) come in, those numbers will increase. (Hollywood Reporter: July 14, 2026)

SPANISH-LANGUAGE WORLD CUP BROADCASTS ARE A HIT WITH ENGLISH SPEAKERS

Maybe it’s the vibe. Maybe it’s Andrés Cantor’s famed “¡goooooooal!” For whatever reason, English speakers are tuning in to Spanish-language coverage of World Cup matches, despite it being readily available in English. Viewers say they can follow the matches even when they don’t understand most of what the announcers say. “When they’re not talking too loud, nothing is happening. When they get loud, there’s a chance. When they get real loud, it’s probably going to be a goal,” said one fan interviewed at a bar. Muy bien, señor. (Associated Press: June, 2026)

RETAIL SALES RISE AGAIN IN JUNE

Even in an economy facing challenges, retail sales were up for the ninth consecutive month last June. A study from CNBC and the National Retail Federation shows that sales were up 9.41% versus a year ago, driven by increased spending on clothing and accessories, sporting goods, and digital products like eBooks and games. It’s fair to point out that June 2025 spending was exceptionally soft, but even on a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, sales still increased. (NRF: July 13, 2026)

CTV GROWTH SHOWS NO SIGNS OF STOPPING

As consumers spend more of their time with CTV, it’s naturally where advertisers are placing an increasing share of their media budgets. EMARKETER projects that by 2028, more than half of TV ad spending will be on CTV. In the current upfront, CTV ad revenue is expected to surpass linear primetime by close to $1 billion. In what is very good news for the industry, the number of ad-free OTT viewers is forecast to decrease from last year’s 52.7 million to 42.7 million by 2030, while the number of ad-supported viewers will continue to rise. (EMARKETER: July 13, 2026)