SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final
21 July, 2026
Media releases
Spain v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of almost 5.3 million on Monday morning
Almost 2.8 million tuned into the third-place match between England and France on Sunday
More than 64% of Australians have now watched the tournament as cumulative reach tops 18 million
An extraordinary 5.26 million* Australians tuned in to SBS on Monday morning as the biggest FIFA World Cup in history reached a dramatic conclusion, with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
Cumulative Total TV reach for the tournament is now at 18.04 million, which means 64% of Australia's population have watched some of the tournament. Total consumption hours have topped 209 million.
Despite the Socceroos' early departure in the knockout rounds, Australian fans have continued to flock to the closing stages of the tournament. The final became the most-watched World Cup match in SBS history, surpassing the Socceroos' final Group match against Paraguay (4.87 million, Total TV reach).
The Total TV average audience was 2.7 million and more than 56.5% watched the match on SBS On Demand. The post-match show reached more than 3.7 million and was the second most-watched program of the day.
On Sunday morning, 2.8 million viewers witnessed a goal-fest as England defeated France 6-4 to secure third place in the tournament (average audience of 1.4 million), which also topped the daily VOZ rankings.
Seventeen matches have now reached more than two million each during the tournament, including four matches that have topped four million viewers. Of the 104 World Cup matches, 62 reached more than one million viewers (almost 60%).
SBS Director of Sport, Ken Shipp, said: This has been an unprecedented FIFA World Cup in its size, complexity and intrigue, and Australians have embraced it in extraordinary numbers. In our 40 years of broadcasting the tournament, we've never seen engagement at this level. The Socceroos captured the imagination of the nation, but people stayed for the rest of the tournament as it delivered remarkable football and unforgettable moments right through to Spain's victory in the Final.
Throughout the past six weeks, we saw football's unique ability to bring people together and celebrate the many cultures and communities that make our country so diverse. That's what has always made the FIFA World Cup so special, and why SBS has been proud to bring it to Australians for the past 40 years. We never take that responsibility for granted, and we're incredibly grateful to have shared this remarkable journey with millions of people.
Spain v Argentina Total TV Reach Total TV Average Audience % BVOD Contribution
Spain v Argentina - Pre 1,159,000 227,000 19.6%
Spain v Argentina - Live 5,262,000 2,691,000 56.5%
Spain v Argentina - Post 3,701,000 1,648,000 44.5%
World Cup matches have consistently ranked in the top ten programs of the day since the tournament began on 12 June (Australian time).
The World Cup broadcast has struck a particular chord with younger viewers, consistently ranking No.1 on the VOZ daily ratings in the 16-39 age group.
Top Matches to 20 July Total TV Reach Total TV Average Audience % BVOD Contribution
Spain v Argentina Final Live 5,262,000 2,691,000 56.5%
Paraguay v Australia Live 4,869,000 3,097,000 47.0%
Australia v T rkiye Live 4,851,000 3,085,000 44.4%
Norway v England QF Live 4,409,000 2,418,000 56.1%
Australia v Egypt Live 3,896,000 2,208,000 46.5%
Argentina v Switzerland QF Live 3,783,000 1,919,000 55.4%
USA v Australia Live 3,482,000 2,208,000 46.1%
England v Argentina SF Live 3,391,000 1,877,000 64.2%
Mexico v England Live 2,937,000 1,683,000 63.6%
France v England 3rd Place Live 2,773,000 1,407,000 54.7%
SBS Sport's social media platforms have had more than 1.5 billion video views and 1.6 billion impressions across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.^ The SBS Sport TikTok platform has grown exponentially during the World Cup and is now the second biggest TikTok broadcaster account in Australia with 3.7 million followers.
Hyundai, Hisense, Macca's, Rexona, bet365, Commonwealth Bank and Youi are commercial partners of SBS's broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 .
Audience Testimonials
I would like to thank you for a wonderful coverage of the World Cup 2026. I thought that given the current world I would have to get one or more streaming services to watch the Cup. But to have it all available on free to air on SBS (where it truly belongs) has been wonderful. So thank you. Also I've been exposed to adverts that show how many great shows SBS has so I will be watching more SBS in the future.
Hello, SBS legends. I feel the need to congratulate you on flawlessly bringing Australia the finest coverage of football I've ever experienced. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself when it's over tomorrow. Thank you for the perfect live streams and the mini match choices, the accessibility, the social media posts we couldn't have wished for anything more Seriously, SBS, you smashed it. Thank you.
As an avid and long-term football fan, I've been watching SBS's range of coverage forever'. You've had wonderful commentators and spokespeople over the decades. But your choice of the current group is inspired!! New faces. Experienced players. Informed commentary. Internationals. Males and females. Your coverage and the people involved has been/is simply excellent. Well done, SBS. I'm SO pleased YOU had the rights!!!
Just wanted to let you know SBS On Demand has been fantastic, with live and demand options, full games, mini matches, extended to highlights options and really easy to navigate. All free for me, just ads
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SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final 
