The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a major surge in global interest in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with tournament viewership rising by an impressive 61 percent.
According to CAF, the figures are based on data compiled by independent research agencies, highlighting the growing global appeal of African football’s flagship competition.
A key driver of this expansion was CAF’s partnership with IMG, which helped boost the number of international broadcast partners by 50 percent. As a result, the tournament reached new audiences in countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Greece, and Colombia for the first time, making the 2025 edition the most widely distributed in the competition’s history.
The viewing numbers underline the tournament’s global reach. CAF reported that more than 24 million viewers in Brazil tuned in, along with 2 million in Mexico. In the United Kingdom, over three million people watched the final between Morocco and Senegal on Channel 4, while Germany recorded a record four million viewers for the competition.
CAF added that Nielsen will release a full report on the tournament’s performance in the coming weeks.
The significant rise in viewership reflects not only improved broadcast coverage and packaging of the tournament, but also the growing global interest in African football and its continued development on the world stage.
