Netflix has revealed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated a surge in football-related engagement across its streaming platform, with viewers flocking to documentaries, series, talk shows, and games during the tournament. The company said football content consumption accelerated significantly as fans extended their World Cup experience beyond live matches through on-demand entertainment and interactive gaming.
According to Netflix, weekly views of its football titles in May increased by more than 250 percent compared with the weekly average recorded between January and April. The growth was driven by a broad portfolio of football-focused content, including documentaries such as Brazil 70: The Third Star, Mexico 86, James, and Norway: The Dark Horse, alongside the official FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition game.
The company highlighted strong engagement around football legends. Views of Ronaldinho: The One and Only jumped 34 percent in Brazil within hours of Ronaldinho’s halftime appearance during the tournament. Meanwhile, Norway: The Dark Horse became the number one title in Norway during its first week on the platform and remained in the country’s Top 10 throughout the FIFA World Cup.
Netflix’s football talk show The Rest Is Football, featuring Gary Lineker, Micah Richards, and Alan Shearer, also gained strong traction. Daily episodes reached the weekly Top 10 in the United Kingdom, prompting Netflix to renew the series for the 2026-27 Premier League season.
Gaming also emerged as a major driver of engagement. During the World Cup, FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition became the number one most-played game on Netflix. Even after the tournament concluded, gameplay activity remained more than 40 percent above normal levels. Brazil was the most-selected team in the game, followed by Mexico and Argentina.
Players in Brazil overwhelmingly chose their home nation, while gamers in the United States most frequently selected Argentina. When upgrading players, Brazilian users favored Vinicius Junior, Mexican gamers preferred Raul Jimenez, while US players spent most of their upgrades on Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Netflix also reported that after every real-life World Cup victory, players were more than two times as likely to select the winning national team in the game. Netflix did not reveal financial performance from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Netflix is preparing for its next major football event. The platform will stream the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the United States and Canada from June 24 to July 25, 2027, marking another significant expansion of its sports entertainment portfolio.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
