El Clásico Draws 2.4 Million US Viewers
Barcelona and Real Madrid's latest meeting set a US audience record for LaLiga, as soccer viewing grows across age groups.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Soccer
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El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid drew an average of 2.4 million US viewers across ABC and ESPN Deportes, the most-watched Clásico and LaLiga match in US history. Real Madrid won the match 2-1.
Why it matters
The audience is more than double the 1.1 million who watched last season's first Clásico, signaling sustained growth in US interest in Spanish soccer. Combined English and Spanish-language LaLiga viewing is up 50% year on year, reflecting broader momentum for the sport in the United States.
The 2.4 million average audience for El Clásico is more than double the 1.1 million who watched last season's first meeting, based on US broadcast measurements. Combined English and Spanish-language LaLiga viewing is up 50% through Matchday 10, averaging 142,000 viewers, though the extraction does not detail how these figures compare across different measurement windows.
The players
ESPN
ESPN is a US sports media network that carried English-language and Spanish-language LaLiga coverage across its channels.
ABC
ABC is a major US broadcast television network that aired El Clásico alongside ESPN Deportes.
The details
The match was broadcast across ABC and ESPN Deportes, with Real Madrid winning 2-1. Viewing growth was strongest among children aged 2-17 (up 84%), adults aged 18-34 (up 69%), and women (up 56%), while ESPN Deportes average viewing rose 12%.
Timeline
Matchday 1: ESPN English-language coverage of Elche-Barcelona drew 1 million viewers and Espanyol-Real Madrid drew 811,000.
September: The Madrid derby drew 574,000 viewers across ESPN networks, the most-watched ESPN broadcast of its kind.
Last Sunday (November 2, 2026): El Clásico drew its 2.4 million average US audience.
Through Matchday 10: Combined LaLiga viewing was up 50% year on year, averaging 142,000 viewers.
Season Trajectory
The surge in LaLiga viewing follows the roughly 10 million US soccer fans Nielsen research attributes to the World Cup over a single year. The audience gains suggest that the post-World Cup interest is carrying into club competition, with ABC and ESPN planning to air more LaLiga matches this season.
Fans can watch LaLiga matches across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+. With more matches scheduled on ABC and ESPN this season, US viewers have expanded access to Spanish club soccer on both English and Spanish-language broadcasts.
The takeaway
Growing audiences across age groups show that Spanish club soccer is building a lasting base in the US. Viewers who want to follow LaLiga can now find matches on both English and Spanish-language broadcasts.
What happens next
ABC and ESPN will carry more LaLiga matches through the remainder of the season, expanding viewing options for US audiences.
Further reading
For more on the growing audience for global club competition, see Soccer coverage across the United States.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Inside World Football.
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