Soccer’s Biggest Stage: Who’s Watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

Intellicast
Intellicast S5E34 – A Changing of the Guard At Some MRX Big Hitters
November 11, 2022
In-Store Warrior or From-The-Couch Customer? A Look at Black Friday Shopping Plans
November 22, 2022
Intellicast
Intellicast S5E34 – A Changing of the Guard At Some MRX Big Hitters
November 11, 2022
In-Store Warrior or From-The-Couch Customer? A Look at Black Friday Shopping Plans
November 22, 2022
Show all

Soccer’s Biggest Stage: Who’s Watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

You know that the FIFA World Cup starts in Qatar this weekend… or maybe you do not! The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup competition will highlight 32 teams as they try to replace France as the reigning champion. In our latest blog, we look at awareness of the FIFA World Cup and who plans to watch it.

This research was fielded October 17-31, 2022, among 4,461 respondents in the United States.

Awareness

Overall, 81% of people do not know where the FIFA World Cup will be played this year, with 65% saying they do not know and another 16% stating an incorrect answer. Less than 20% of people correctly stated that the 2022 FIFA World Cup is being played in Qatar, a small country located on the Persian Gulf in the Middle East.

Panel

When looking at response by panel, we found up to a 26% difference by panel in people who know that the 2022 FIFA World Cup is in Qatar. This can have a significant impact on your data. For example, Panel T is almost double the overall percentage of people who know that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be played in Qatar, and Panel F is 6% lower than the overall percentage. Using only Panel T or only Panel F could skew your results.

FIFA World Cup Viewership

Overall, 21% of people say they plan to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The last FIFA World Cup, which was played in 2018, averaged just under 12 million viewers and peaked at 15 million viewers in the United States.[1] In comparison, the 2021 Superbowl had 140 million viewers.[2] FIFA President Gianni Infantino projects that the 2022 competition will be the most watched in tournament history with 5 billion viewers.[3]  If 21% of people in the United States watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the tournament will have 69.8 million US viewers.

Gender

When we look at response by gender, we find that men are 19% more likely than women to say they are planning to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They are also 10% more likely to plan to watch the tournament than the overall percentage (21%).

Age

When it comes to age, the older a person is, the less likely they are to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup. People between the ages of 25 and 44 are most likely to watch the tournament (29%-30%.) However, people age 65+ are least likely to watch (8%).

Panel

Finally, when looking at the percentage of people who plan to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup by panel, we see up to a 29% difference between panels. We also see responses up to 12% higher and 10% lower than the overall percentage of people who plan to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup (21%).

As we see in this blog, awareness of even global events can vary by both demographic and panel. That is why strategic sample blending is the best practice to ensure your data is safe from sample bias and is consistent over time. Strategic Sample Blending allows you to trust that any changes are due to shifts in the market, not inaccuracies in your data. To learn more about the importance of diversity in sample and how panels are different, download your copy of The Sample Landscape: 2022 Edition.


[1] Fansler, K. (2022, May 13). How many people watch the World Cup? World Soccer Talk. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/05/04/how-many-people-watch-the-world-cup/

[2] Richter, F. (2022, February 11). Infographic: Super Bowl pales in comparison to the biggest game in soccer. Statista Infographics. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/chart/16875/super-bowl-viewership-vs-world-cup-final/

[3] Dixon, E. (2022, May 25). Qatar 2022 to be watched by 5bn people, says Gianni Infantino. SportsPro. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/fifa-2022-world-cup-qatar-tv-audience-viewers-gianni-infantino/