The figures, published on CAF’s official platform on Monday, come ahead of a comprehensive report on the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. The full analysis is expected to be released in the coming weeks by global research firm Nielsen.
According to CAF, the sharp rise in audience numbers was driven by expanded global broadcast coverage, particularly across Europe and other key international markets. The Morocco-hosted tournament, staged between December 21, 2025, and January 18, 2026, achieved unprecedented distribution levels, reaching new audiences across multiple continents.
The 2025 edition, hosted in Morocco, concluded with Senegal emerging champions, followed by Morocco and Nigeria in second and third place respectively.
CAF attributed much of the growth to strengthened commercial and media partnerships, notably its collaboration with global sports marketing agency IMG. This partnership reportedly drove a 50 per cent increase in international broadcast partners compared to the previous edition in Côte d’Ivoire.
New broadcast agreements were secured across previously untapped markets, including Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Greece and Colombia—making Morocco 2025 the most widely distributed AFCON tournament to date.
Emerging markets also played a key role in the tournament’s expansion. In South America, viewership rose sharply, with over 24 million viewers recorded in Brazil and nearly two million in Mexico. CAF described the region as a growing frontier for the competition’s global appeal.
In Europe, traditional strongholds such as the United Kingdom and France contributed significantly to the overall growth. The final attracted more than three million viewers on Channel 4 in the UK, while Germany recorded over four million viewers via Sports Digital.
Asia also recorded notable gains, with India identified as a new audience base. The final streamed on FanCode drew more than 800,000 viewers, highlighting the tournament’s expanding footprint in the region.
CAF further revealed that its broader media strategy—including in-house content production and expanded highlights distribution—boosted media exposure for brand partners by over 65 per cent across European and South American markets.
Key performance indicators from the preliminary report include a 50 per cent increase in international broadcast partnerships since the 2023 edition, a 32 per cent rise in media value for European partners, and a 35 per cent growth in overall media rights revenue across South America, Europe and Asia.
The governing body noted that these metrics reinforce AFCON’s growing commercial strength and global relevance, as it continues to attract new audiences and investment beyond the African continent.