RIO DE JANEIRO, July 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As sports leagues and broadcasters around the world rethink how to reach digital audiences, Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup offers new evidence that streaming can expand the audience for premium live sports rather than simply shift viewers away from television. According to a new analysis by LiveMode, comparing Brazil National Team’s first five matches in the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, the estimated combined peak audience across broadcast television and streaming grew from 43.7 million to 53.2 million, driven by rapid growth in digital viewing.
The findings come as livestreaming reaches unprecedented scale during the tournament. According to streaming analytics firm Streams Charts, FIFA World Cup-related content generated more than 1.1 billion hours watched across livestreaming platforms during the group stage alone, making it the largest livestreaming event the company has ever recorded. YouTube accounted for more than 94% of that watch time, with Brazil emerging as the platform’s largest World Cup market, driven by CazéTV’s broadcasts.
Peak simultaneous connected devices watching the free YouTube broadcasts of CazéTV, the LiveMode-owned channel, more than tripled between tournaments, increasing from an average of 5.3 million to 17.4 million per Brazil match, a 229% increase. While traditional free-to-air television audiences declined compared with 2022, according to their own data, the growth in streaming more than offset those losses, resulting in the largest estimated audience ever recorded for Brazil’s World Cup matches.
Every one of Brazil’s first five matches in 2026 attracted a larger combined audience than the equivalent stage of the 2022 World Cup. “What we are seeing in Brazil shows that streaming is expanding the audience for premium live sports. Digital platforms are creating new gateways into the tournament, reaching fans who consume content naturally in digital environments,” said Sergio Lopes, co-founder of LiveMode.
The trend is consistent with broader changes in how Brazilians consume content. According to the latest data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), more than 90% of Brazilians aged 10 and older now use the internet, while nearly 90% own a mobile phone. Watching online video, including streaming services, series, films and live content, has become one of the country’s most common online activities, practiced by 89.3% of internet users, ranking above social media use. Digital platforms have become a primary destination for entertainment, particularly among younger audiences.
Major sports rights holders are increasingly experimenting with digital-first distribution strategies. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, CazéTV became the only platform in Brazil to stream all 104 matches free of charge. UEFA has since awarded the platform the rights to broadcast every UEFA Euro 2028 match in Brazil, while LiveMode has begun exporting the model internationally through its new operation in Portugal.
Audience per Brazil match in the 2022 FIFA World Cup:
- Brazil vs Serbia: 42,712,846
- Brazil vs Switzerland: 42,768,408
- Brazil vs Camaron: 41,355,479
- Brazil vs Korea Republic: 46,401,851
- Brazil vs Croatia: 45,175,258
- Average audience: 43,682,768
Audience per Brazil match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
- Brazil vs Morocco: 47,321,401
- Brazil vs Haiti: 51,428,408
- Brazil vs Scotland: 58,513,279
- Brazil vs Japan: 56,970,831
- Brazil vs Norway: 51,567,580
- Average audience: 53,160,300
Methodology
The analysis compares the first five Brazil matches in the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups. Peak broadcast television audiences were converted from audience ratings into estimated households using Kantar IBOPE Media’s National Television Panel methodology (750,000 households per rating point). Peak digital audiences represent simultaneous connected devices streaming CazéTV’s broadcasts. The combined figures are intended as a directional estimate of total audience across broadcast television and streaming, rather than a deduplicated count of individual viewers.
About LiveMode
Founded in 2017, LiveMode has established itself as an innovative company in the sports and media industries. The company partners with sports organizations to develop and operate live sports distribution solutions, including its own platforms, such as CazéTV in Brazil, one of the country’s leading destinations for sports content. CazéTV broadcasts major sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Olympic Games, and some of the world’s most prestigious soccer competitions. LiveMode has expanded its international footprint through LiveModeTV, beginning with Portugal, where it launched a free digital channel on YouTube. The company recently announced that Cristiano Ronaldo has become a partner in its international expansion initiative, which aims to bring major sports competitions to younger audiences through creator-led broadcasts and distribution across digital platforms and social media.
Media contact:
Leo Stamillo
leo@contentco.tech
contentco.tech
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d5e0aca2-363c-465b-aa1e-41909d19d55d
