Rabat – Early research figures suggest that the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 attracted a major increase in international audiences, with viewership across Europe, Asia and South America rising by around 61 percent compared to previous editions.
The numbers come from preliminary conclusions by independent research agencies. A full global report on the tournament’s audience performance is expected to be released soon by Nielsen, the international research company.
According to the prelinary studies, this strong growth is largely due to the tournament’s wider global broadcast reach. CAF secured a record level of international media coverage for the Morocco edition, helping the competition reach new audiences across several regions.
European markets played a particularly important role in that increase. The United Kingdom and France were among the territories where audience numbers grew the most during the tournament.
New broadcast deals expand AFCON’s global reach
CAF’s partnership with the global sports marketing agency IMG also helped expand the competition’s distribution. According to the confederation, the number of international broadcast partners increased by about 50 percent compared to the 2023 edition of the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
Several new markets broadcast the tournament for the first time. These included Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Greece, and Colombia, helping make the Morocco 2025 edition the most widely distributed AFCON tournament to date.
South America also recorded strong audience growth. More than 24 million viewers followed the tournament in Brazil alone, while nearly two million people watched in Mexico.
CAF said its media strategy also helped boost exposure for sponsors and partners. The confederation produced additional digital content, with highlights packages and shoulder programming distributed worldwide.
As a result, brand exposure for partners increased by more than 65 percent in European and South American markets.
Some individual markets also recorded record numbers. In the United Kingdom, more than three million viewers watched the final on Channel 4. Germany also reached a new high, with more than four million people following the tournament during its run.
India equally emerged as a new market for AFCON. Matches streamed on the FanCode platform attracted more than 800,000 viewers, marking a promising first step for the competition in the country.
CAF crucial secured new broadcast agreements with several platforms and networks worldwide, including DAZN in Japan, NAVER and STN in South Korea, Douyin and Leisu in China, Fox and Claro Sports in Mexico, Movistar in Spain, Win Sports in Colombia, and ERT in Greece.
