One of the few remaining global events that much of the world tunes into, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar starts this weekend. Here are a few stats to know from various pieces of research that have been released in the lead-up to the event.

[Before starting, a quick note of acknowledgement of the many controversies about this year’s event regarding its location and human rights abuses. You can read more about those here.]

45% of American Sports Fans Are Interested in Watching

Almost half (45%) of “monthly sports viewers” in the US are either very or somewhat interested in the World Cup, according to a survey from Altman Solon of 17,000 respondents across 17 countries. Yet, this is the joint-lowest figure of the 17 countries, with only Australia matching that low level of interest. (However 28% of US respondents said they are “very interested,” compared to just 19% of Australian respondents.)

The countries with the most rabid World Cup fan bases are Brazil and Argentina, with 94% of sports viewers in each saying they are interested in watching the event. That includes more than three-quarters (79% and 76%, respectively) in each country who are very interested.

Soccer Fans Engage in 15% More Brand Conversations Each Week Than the Average

Sponsoring brands might be encouraged to hear that soccer fans engage in more word-of-mouth than average. According to data from Engagement Labs, they engage in 90 offline brand conversations each week, compared to 78 for the average person. Compared to the average, they’re 48% more likely to talk about Travel Services brands, 41% more likely to have offline conversations about Children’s Products brands, and 29% more likely to discuss Personal Care/Beauty brands.

Some of the top-indexing brands discussed by soccer fans include the MLS, Trivago, Nivea, Audi, and Adidas.

Read the full MarketingCharts article, here.

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