Everyone TV has revealed Barb viewing data shows a significant increase in the number of people watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup over broadband, highlighting the UK’s continued shift towards internet-delivered TV.

Barb data shows that the share of viewing from broadband-only homes for England’s group-stage matches (on June 17th, 23rd and 27th) rose by 473 per cent – more than quadruple – when compared with the 2022 tournament as more audiences chose to stream live TV.

The World Cup also marked a number of milestones for Freely. During the tournament, on the week commencing July 6th, the platform grew to more than 2 million monthly active users and recorded its biggest viewing day since launch on July 19th (the day of the final), highlighting its progress towards becoming the UK’s largest TV device platform by 2030. Compared with 2025, Freely has also seen a rise in the number of users returning to the platform daily.

Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV, said: “Major sporting events like the World Cup bring millions of people together for a shared live viewing experience. As one of the UK’s biggest TV events, it offers a clear picture of how audiences are choosing to watch. Compared with 2022, significantly more viewing took place over the internet, highlighting the growing role of broadband in delivering free television and the changing ways audiences are watching live TV.”

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Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, OTT, Research

Tags: BARB, england, Everyone TV, Freely, World Cup