The New Football Viewer in MENA

World Cup 2026 has presented audiences across the Middle East and North Africa with a unique viewing challenge. Hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, many of the tournament’s most important fixtures have taken place late at night or in the early hours of the morning across MENA. 

Yet these demanding kick-off times have not weakened the region’s passion for football. 

Research conducted by Ipsos across Morocco, Jordan, Egypt and the UAE during the second and third weeks of the tournament shows that World Cup viewers have adapted by becoming more selective, increasingly streaming-led and highly connected across social media. Audiences are protecting the matches that matter most, using highlights and replays to remain informed and engaging with football conversations before, during and after the live broadcast. 

Observed viewing data from TOD by beIN supports this picture and takes it further. Across the tournament, TOD by beIN audiences did not merely sample football content. They watched live matches at appointment-viewing scale, spent more time with the matches carrying the greatest stakes, moved between mobile devices and connected TVs, and increasingly selected premium viewing formats such as 4K. 

Together, the survey and platform data reveal a new MENA football viewer: emotionally invested but increasingly selective, committed to live sport but flexible about the screen used to access it, and engaged in an experience that extends far beyond the match itself. 

Eight key findings emerged from the research:

Live football still comes first
Despite challenging match timings, live viewing remained at the heart of the World Cup experience, becoming even more important as the tournament reached its decisive stages. Streaming did not weaken the appeal of live football, it gave fans more flexibility around how and where they watched it. 

Selectivity is concentration, not withdrawal
Fans became more selective about what they watched, concentrating their time and attention on knockout fixtures, favourite teams and the matches that mattered most. As the stakes increased, live viewing intensified and catch-up viewing declined. 

Arab-nation pride is an audience multiplier
Arab-team participation was a major driver of engagement. Matches involving Arab nations performed strongly across both live viewing and highlights, showing how national and regional identity can translate directly into audience behaviour. 

Streaming is finding the route to the big screen
Streaming continued to gain ground, but not at the expense of the television screen. Fans increasingly accessed the biggest screen in the home through streaming, while moving between TV, mobile and other devices throughout the tournament. 

High completion shows that attention has not disappeared
As the tournament progressed, audiences spent more time with the matches carrying the greatest sporting and emotional importance. The findings show that long-form attention remains strong when the content matters, while highlights and replays provide flexibility when live viewing is less practical. 

4K is moving towards the mainstream
Premium picture quality is becoming part of the expected sports streaming experience. TOD by beIN data shows that 4K was widely used during the tournament, as audiences increasingly expect streaming to deliver a premium experience on the biggest screen in the home. 

Football has become a multi-screen social experience
The World Cup experience increasingly extends beyond the live match. Fans use social platforms, highlights and short-form content to follow reactions, revisit key moments and continue the conversation, creating a connected content ecosystem around the tournament. 

The language of viewing is more fluid than expected
Viewing behaviour reveals a multilingual MENA audience, with Arabic, English and, in Morocco, French playing different roles across markets. The findings highlight the importance of giving viewers greater language choice rather than assuming a single preference based on geography or identity. 

 

Download the full report for all the data and insights. 

About This Research

The audience insights are based on quantitative research conducted by Ipsos among national representative samples of individuals aged 15 and above, during the second and third weeks of the  World Cup 2026 in UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Respondents had watched full live matches, parts of live matches, or tournament highlights and replays.

TOD by beIN platform findings are based on observed viewing behaviour during World Cup 2026. Device, live and on-demand measurements may include overlapping audiences because individual viewers could use more than one device, format or viewing mode.

Social-media results cover TOD by beIN’s owned Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and X channels during the stated reporting period. Public YouTube view counts are time-sensitive and should carry an “as of” date.

For more information, please reach out to: 
Yann Colleter - New-Media Growth Lead: [email protected]