Lausanne, Switzerland – The FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 has set a new benchmark for television audiences, reaching a reported 403.3 million viewers worldwide across live coverage, highlights, delayed broadcasts and repeats.
The combined women’s and men’s World Cups delivered unprecedented global exposure for hockey, with audiences around the world.
A global audience for hockey
India accounted for 30% of the reported total audience, while Latin America and China each represented 15%. The Netherlands, Germany and Pakistan also featured among the leading markets, underlining the sport’s strong international following and the World Cup’s ability to connect with audiences across diverse regions.
The 2026 edition achieved twice the reported television audience of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2022 and the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 combined, marking a significant milestone in the global visibility of the sport.
Expanding access, expanding reach
This exceptional growth reflects both the quality and excitement of the hockey on display and a shift in the FIH’s approach to its broadcasting rights strategy. A key priority was to maximise accessibility by placing greater emphasis on free-to-air broadcasters, enabling more fans to follow the action without requiring a paid television subscription.
By making the tournament available to wider audiences, the FIH sought to expand beyond established hockey fanbases and bring the sport to more people around the world. The resulting audience figures demonstrate the potential of an accessible broadcasting strategy to amplify the reach of a major international sporting event.
Setting a new benchmark for hockey
The FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 has demonstrated the global potential of hockey’s flagship event when world-class sporting competition is combined with a distribution strategy focused on accessibility and reach.
The results provide a strong platform for the FIH to build on this momentum, broaden hockey’s international audience and continue bringing the sport to fans around the world.
Commenting on the overall performance in terms of audiences, across broadcast partners and FIH digital platforms, at the World Cup, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said:
“The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 was a spectacular celebration of our sport. On the pitch, in the stands and around the world. It delivered unprecedented TV audiences, exceptional social media engagement and outstanding results for Watch.Hockey, bringing hockey to more people than ever before.
These achievements are hugely exciting and reaffirm the extraordinary power of hockey to connect people across borders and cultures, while inspiring new audiences to discover and engage with our sport.
Now is the time to build on this incredible momentum. We have a fantastic opportunity to turn the World Cup’s success into sustained growth, reach even more fans around the world, and take hockey to even greater heights.”
Speaking specifically about TV audiences, Joseph Eapen, Managing Partner of GSIQ - the agency that provided the report – said: “The FIH World Cup 2026 has demonstrated hockey’s impressive global footprint, generating a total audience of over 403 million. The strong viewership for women’s hockey is particularly encouraging. These numbers reinforce hockey’s growing global appeal and its significant untapped commercial potential.”
