The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) shattered viewership records, reaching a total of 2.2 billion viewers worldwide according to a report by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). This surpasses the viewership of the Super Bowl in the United States, which averaged 123.4 million viewers that same year, a 1.8 billion gap.
The competition also saw a significant increase in digital engagement, with 2.1 billion digital interactions, 3.1 billion TikTok video views, and 12.5 million Instagram views.
The 2.2 billion views was a substantial increase from the 350 million video views for AFCON 2021 as CAF has labelled this event as the most successful in the competitions history.
A critical factor in the viewership increase was a 65 percent rise in TV partners, including major broadcasters like BBC, beIN Sports, Canal+, Sky Sports, and New World TV. This broader reach coincided with a 65 percent increase in commercial revenue sponsorships and a 35 percent rise in TV revenue.
Additionally, continent-wide streaming via OTT platforms grew by 90 percent, with the competition expanding into 13 new markets such as Brazil, India, Italy, and Russia.
The later stages of the tournament also contributed to the high viewership. Notably, none of the teams that reached the quarterfinals in the previous edition made it this year. Additionally, the host nation, who almost faced elimination in the group stages, emerged victorious, claiming their fourth AFCON title in a dramatic final against Nigeria.
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