- From the Arab-team audience effect to billions of social interactions, new World Cup 2026 research uncovers what really drives football fandom across MENA – and why no two markets behave the same
Doha, Qatar – August , 2026: TOD by beIN and Ipsos in MENA have released The New Football Viewer, a new white paper offering a rare view into how football fans across MENA engaged with the tournament during World Cup 2026 – what they prioritised, what drew the biggest audiences and how fandom changed across markets.
The report combines Ipsos quantitative research among 1,900 viewers in Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and the UAE with observed viewing behaviour from TOD by beIN, the tournament’s official streaming platform in MENA, and data from its owned social channels. Together, the datasets go beyond stated preferences to show what fans watched, how they moved across screens and formats, and which teams and moments drove the strongest response.
One of the clearest findings was the power of regional identity. With a record eight Arab nations participating, fixtures involving Arab teams attracted 30% more unique viewers during the group stage and 21% more during the knockouts than comparable non-Arab matches. Four of TOD by beIN’s ten most-watched fixtures featured Arab nations, demonstrating that national and regional affinity remained one of the strongest drivers of live viewing.
The data also revealed that engagement intensified as the tournament progressed. Nearly nine in ten TOD by beIN viewers watched live, while live reach increased from 88% during the group stage to 98% during the knockouts. Knockout fixtures attracted 77% more unique viewers per match, showing that as the stakes rose, fans became more deliberate about where they invested their attention.
That behaviour extended well beyond the live stream. TOD by beIN’s owned social channels generated 4.05 billion impressions, 3.07 billion video views and 81.7 million engagements during the reporting period, while its World Cup 2026 highlights playlist on YouTube generated 66.4 million views and 7.39 million watch hours. The data points to distinct but complementary roles for full-match viewing and social consumption: fans used TOD to follow the teams and fixtures they cared about most, while social platforms amplified stars, dramatic moments and highly shareable storylines.
The report also introduces TOD by beIN’s Affinity framework, using observed platform behaviour across more than 20 MENA markets to show that there is no single regional football audience. Morocco combined deep national pride with pan-MENA appeal, Jordan demonstrated exceptional national-team loyalty, Egypt showed one of the strongest home-team effects in the region, while the UAE followed a broader mix of international teams and global stars.
Peter Mrkic, Managing Director, TOD by beIN (MENA), said: “What makes this research valuable is that it gives us a clearer view of how football fandom works across MENA, where national pride drives audiences, how global stars create cross-market appeal, when fans choose to watch live, and how engagement continues long after the final whistle. For the FIFA World Cup 2026™, TOD by beIN designed the experience around those behaviours, with live and on-demand highlights, interactive timelines, polls and quizzes, MultiView and 4K streaming in Arabic, English and French. For the next FIFA World Cup, we want to take that further by creating an increasingly personalised experience that understands what matters to each fan and brings them even closer to the action.”
“The New Football Viewer” white paper is available to download here, providing further analysis of viewing behaviour, market-level affinities, live and social consumption, and the factors shaping football fandom across MENA.
About TOD by beIN:
TOD by beIN offers exclusive access to the world’s top sporting competitions, including the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026™, UEFA Champions League, Premier League, LaLiga, Ligue 1, Turkish Super Lig, UEFA Europa League, Formula 1, NBA, ONE Championship, Davis Cup, ATP Tour, and all four Grand Slams, making it the single destination for all of beIN’s premium sports content. The platform also delivers a rich and expanding entertainment universe, spanning Arabic, Turkish, international, blockbuster, and children’s programming, alongside originals under TOD Studios banner, anime, live channels, and content from leading Western studios, creating a truly comprehensive streaming experience.
About Ipsos:
Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people. Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. “Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120, Mid-60 indices and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD). ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP
