The United States is co-hosting the World Cup this year along with Canada and Mexico. 104 games will be played starting on June 11th and running through the final on July 19th, and according to data from our national panel, half of Americans are indifferent at best. Just 13% report that they are excited and will watch as many games as possible, while an additional 13% say they will likely tune in after the pool phase of the tournament is over. A quarter of Americans say they will likely watch some games, not exactly a ringing endorsement. The connection to the tournament is driven by three big factors: age, income, and gender. Younger, urban, upper-income consumers are an important set of demographics for many companies, and it will be interesting to see how companies handle the opportunity for live eyeballs in a world where broadcast television is on life support.

Key takeaways:

• 👵👴If you were born before 1983, you likely won’t be tuning in: More than 3 in 5 Boomers (63%) report that they couldn’t care less about the World Cup, while 58% of Gen X reports the same. Millennials and Gen Z have a decidedly different view. Just 24% of Gen Z Americans say they don’t care about the tournament, as do 35% of Millennials. 1 in 5 Gen Z consumers say they will watch as many matches as possible, while 1 in 4 Millennials feel the same way.
• 🚹🚺 Gender makes a difference, unless you’re Gen Z: Overall, 59% of women indicate that they couldn’t care less about the World Cup, while 40% of men say the same thing. Men of all generations are more likely than their female counterparts to say they will watch as many games as possible, but the difference among Gen Z is minimal. Among Boomers, men are 9 times more likely to say they will watch as many games as possible. For Gen X men, the difference is closer to 2x, and among Millennials, it is 3x. Among Gen Z, the gender difference is minuscule, with just a 3-point difference.
• 💲💰💲 The higher your income, the more likely you are to watch: More than half of those making less than $40,000 a year and those making between $40k and $80K say they couldn’t care less about the tournament (57% and 50%, respectively). For those making $80K or more, this number drops down to just 38% who don’t care.