The Confederation of African Football (CAF) says global viewership for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has surged by 61 per cent.
CAF revealed the figure in preliminary research data released on Monday ahead of a full audience report on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The comprehensive study is expected to be published in the coming weeks by global research agency Nielsen.
The tournament, hosted by Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, ended with Senegal lifting the title, while the hosts finished second and Nigeria placed third.
“Preliminary research numbers released by independent research agencies have shown a 61% growth in viewership for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, making AFCON one of the biggest growing sporting properties globally,” CAF said.
According to the continental body, the sharp rise in viewership was driven largely by record media coverage secured across major broadcast platforms in Europe and other key markets. The United Kingdom and France accounted for a significant share of the growth.
CAF said its commercial partnership with global sports marketing agency IMG helped expand the tournament’s footprint, leading to a 50 per cent increase in international broadcast partners across Europe and other regions.
New media deals were also secured in countries including Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Greece and Colombia, making the Morocco edition the most widely distributed AFCON tournament to date.
The competition also drew strong interest in Brazil, where more than 24 million viewers tuned in, while audiences in Mexico approached two million.
CAF noted that the figures highlight South America as an emerging market where AFCON is steadily building new audiences.
The governing body added that its global media distribution strategy boosted exposure for sponsors, producing more than a 65 per cent rise in media visibility for brand partners in Europe and South America.
Audience growth was also evident in Europe and Asia. More than three million viewers watched the final in the United Kingdom on Channel 4, while over four million tuned in across Germany via Sports Digital.
CAF further revealed that India emerged as a new viewing market, with more than 800,000 fans streaming the final on the FanCode platform.
