- AFCON global viewership increased by 61%, according to preliminary research by CAF
- The Morocco 2025 AFCON became the most widely distributed edition in the tournament’s history
- Broadcast partnerships grew by 50% compared to the 2023 tournament in Côte d’Ivoire while UK and France contributed significantly to viewership growth
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) recorded a 61 per cent increase in global viewership, underscoring its rapid rise as one of the fastest-growing sporting events worldwide.
CAF disclosed the development in preliminary research figures published on its website on Monday, March 16, ahead of the full report on the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
The comprehensive report is expected to be released in the coming weeks by global research agency Nielsen.
According to CAF, the sharp increase in viewership was largely driven by expanded global television coverage and new broadcast partnerships across Europe and other key international markets.
“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,” the continent’s football governing body said.
The tournament, staged in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, saw Senegal claim the title, while hosts Morocco finished second and Nigeria placed third.
CAF noted that the United Kingdom and France accounted for a significant portion of the tournament’s viewership growth.
The football body also credited its commercial partnership with global sports marketing agency IMG for helping to expand the tournament’s international reach.
The collaboration led to a 50 per cent increase in international broadcast partners across Europe and other major markets.
New media deals were secured in countries including Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Greece and Colombia, making the Morocco 2025 edition the most widely distributed AFCON tournament globally.
CAF added that the competition also gained traction in South America, where viewership figures continued to rise.
In Brazil alone, more than 24 million viewers watched the tournament, while nearly two million viewers tuned in from Mexico.
The governing body said these numbers suggest that South America is emerging as a new growth market where AFCON is attracting fresh audiences.
CAF further explained that its global media distribution strategy, which included producing in-house shoulder content and distributing highlights, boosted brand exposure for commercial partners by over 65 per cent in European and South American markets.
The organisation also outlined several indicators reflecting the tournament’s expanding global appeal.
These include:
“50% increase in international broadcast partners since the 2023 edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations held in Cote d’Ivoire.
“A 32% uplift in media value for partners in the European market.
“A 35% increase in overall media rights revenue across South America, Europe and Asian markets for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.”
Audience figures also showed impressive growth across Europe and Asia.
In the United Kingdom, more than three million viewers watched the tournament final on Channel 4, while Germany recorded over four million viewers for the final broadcast on Sportdigital.
CAF added that India has also emerged as a new audience base for the competition. The final was streamed on FanCode, attracting more than 800,000 viewers.
The organisation further revealed that fresh broadcast agreements were secured with several international platforms. These include DAZN in Japan; NAVER and STN in South Korea; Douyin, Leisu and Zhibo8 in China; Fox Sports and Claro Sports in Mexico; Movistar in Spain; Win Sports in Colombia; ERT in Greece; VG in Norway; Cablenet in Cyprus; and Medianet in the Maldives.