Rob Duffy
TSN – TSN – CTV News – CTV News Channel – CP24 – BNN Bloomberg – iHeartRadio
Canada’s History-Making FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ Victory Becomes the Most-Watched Group Stage Match Ever, Reaching 11.7 Million Viewers
– With an average audience of 5.3 million viewers, Canada vs. Qatar ranks as the biggest FIFA WORLD CUP™ match since the 2014 Final –
– Across TSN, CTV, Crave, Noovo, and RDS to date, FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ has reached 21 million Canadians, with audiences enjoying more than 92 million hours of live matches –
– Across TSN, CTV, Crave, Noovo, and RDS to date, FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ has reached 21 million Canadians, with audiences enjoying more than 92 million hours of live matches –
TORONTO (June 19, 2026) – Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team made history on Thursday evening, securing their first-ever FIFA WORLD CUP™ victory, and the win electrified Canadian fans. Attracting a record average audience of 5.3 million viewers on TSN, RDS, CTV, Noovo, and Crave, it becomes the most-watched FIFA WORLD CUP™ Group Stage match on record, according to preliminary data from Numeris.
Overall, 11.7 million unique Canadian viewers tuned in for some part of the FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ match, an increase of +34% compared to Canada’s second match at the 2022 tournament. The record-breaking match saw audiences peak with 7.3 million viewers at 8:01 p.m. ET as Canada secured the victory. Additionally, streaming audiences more than doubled compared to Canada’s second match in 2022.
Canada’s 6-0 victory over Qatar now ranks as the country’s most-watched FIFA WORLD CUP™ match since the 2014 Final.
“The record audiences and unprecedented engagement throughout FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ demonstrate the powerful connection Canadians have with both the global game and Canada’s Men’s National Team,” said Shawn Redmond, Vice President, Bell Media Sports. “Across broadcast, streaming, digital, and social platforms, fans have come together in extraordinary numbers to follow this historic tournament and support this team on the world stage. These results reflect a landmark moment for soccer in Canada and the passion fans have shown every step of the way.”
Additional FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ audience highlights from June 11-18 include:
Source: Numeris, Preliminary Data, Total Canada, P2+, TSN, CTV Com, CTV2 Total, Noovo Total, RDS, RDS2, audiences inclusive of PPM encored digital live streams. Consumption and Reach includes all FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™content, 6/11/26 to 6/18/26 vs. 11/20/22 to 11/27/22 | Live Streaming Audience Claims based on internal viewership data
- A total of 21 million unique Canadian viewers have tuned in to watch FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ coverage so far on TSN, RDS, CTV, Noovo, and Crave
- Canadians have consumed more than 92 million hours of FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ live matches, up more than +54% compared to this point in the 2022 tournament
- Non-Canada matches have attracted an average audience of 1.2 million viewers, an increase of +54% compared to this point in the 2022 tournament
- Major increases for FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ content on TSN social media accounts on June 18, including 17 million video views and 32 million impressions
- More than 1 million views for Canada-Qatar content FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ content on YouTube
Source: Numeris, Preliminary Data, Total Canada, P2+, TSN, CTV Com, CTV2 Total, Noovo Total, RDS, RDS2, audiences inclusive of PPM encored digital live streams. Consumption and Reach includes all FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™content, 6/11/26 to 6/18/26 vs. 11/20/22 to 11/27/22 | Live Streaming Audience Claims based on internal viewership data Social Media
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TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and provides world-class content across its industry-leading platforms including five national television feeds, TSN+, TSN.ca, TSN Radio stations, and the TSN app, featuring 5G capabilities. With a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers more championship events than any broadcaster in the country. The network’s deep and diverse roster of live sports programming includes NFL, CFL, NBA, FIFA World Cup™, F1®, regional broadcast rights for the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets, PWHL, IIHF Women’s Worlds, Men’s Worlds, and World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada events, Spengler Cup, UEFA EURO 2028, MLS, Season of Champions Curling, MLB, Golf’s Majors, Grand Slam Tennis, NASCAR, NCAA March Madness, FIBA and Canada Basketball events, CHL, NLL, IndyCar Series, CEBL, Northern Super League, and more. TSN is from Bell Media, Canada’s leading media and entertainment company, with a portfolio of assets in premium video, audio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media.
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