Key Points
- Nexxen says Fox-owned Tubi could play a key role in helping viewers discover FIFA World Cup games across fragmented platforms.
- Free access is driving interest, with 14 million new viewers expressing intent to watch due to Tubi’s free match offerings, Nexxen said.
- Rising costs are shifting behavior, as 86 percent of fans report cutting discretionary spending and seeking free viewing options.
A new report from advertising firm Nexxen makes the case that Fox Corporation‘s free streaming service Tubi could play a pivotal role in discovering FIFA World Cup men’s soccer tournament games over the next month.
Soccer games from the tournament will be distributed across free streaming apps, broadcast networks and cable channels, which has the potential to drive consumer confusion about where to watch the games on a daily basis, the report notes.
Tubi will offer a handful of games on its free streaming platform, and could be used as a powerful driver to other apps that carry all games, including Fox’s own Fox One platform.
According to Nexxen, 14 million Americans who weren’t going to watch the FIFA World Cup tournament have now expressed an interest in the games because Tubi will be offering some of them for free. Those games include the opening match and the first game involving the U.S. men’s national soccer team.
Nexxen’s report divides viewers into three types of sports fans: Those who want free access to games, those who are willing to take on a new pay TV service or app to follow the action and a sizable contingent that will catch up on the matches through highlights and event replays across different platforms.
The report argues that free access is becoming increasingly important as consumers pull back on discretionary spending. Nexxen found that 86 percent of prospective World Cup viewers say they have reduced non-essential spending, including paid streaming subscriptions. Nearly half of respondents said they are actively looking for free ways to watch matches.
As a result, viewing behavior is shifting beyond the home. Nexxen estimates that 9 million more people now plan to watch matches at bars, restaurants and other free public venues compared with projections made earlier this year.
While affordability is becoming a larger factor, interest in the tournament continues to grow. Nexxen said World Cup-related engagement has increased since the start of the year, fueled by major tournament announcements and broadcast plans. The company also found that North American hosting duties have helped boost overall interest, with U.S. engagement levels rising significantly compared with the 2022 tournament.
Not all fans intend to watch full matches: Nexxen estimates that 19 million Americans plan to follow the World Cup through supplemental content rather than live game broadcasts. Match highlights and recaps ranked as the most popular alternative content category, followed by the opening ceremony, pre-game and post-game programming and creator-driven social media content.
At the same time, subscription services are expected to benefit from tournament demand. Nexxen found that 40 percent of consumers plan to add some form of subscription service to watch the World Cup. One-quarter of those prospective subscribers intend to sign up for a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) like Hulu with Live TV (12 percent), YouTube TV (11 percent), Fubo and Sling TV.
For advertisers, Nexxen said the growing fragmentation of audiences across linear television, FAST platforms, streaming bundles and social media presents both opportunities and challenges. The company predicts that audience measurement and identity resolution tools will become increasingly important as viewers spread across a wider range of platforms and content types.
The report also forecasts that Tubi’s free World Cup coverage could accelerate broader adoption of free ad-supported streaming television services, introducing millions of new consumers to the FAST ecosystem — a move that would not only be a boost to Tubi, but to other apps like Paramount’s Pluto TV, Comcast and Charter’s Xumo Play and free streaming content from Plex.
The full report is available to view by clicking or tapping here.
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