2Cat posted its strongest July audience in two decades, fueled by FIFA World Cup matches in Catalan. The channel saw a 28.6% jump from June, reaching over 4 million unique viewers.
2Cat has set a new audience record for July, marking its best performance in 21 years, as the channel’s Catalan-language coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 delivered a surge in viewership. According to RTVE, 2Cat reached a 4.5% average share this July, with a total of 4,086,000 unique viewers. This represents a 28.6% increase compared to June and the highest monthly figure for La 2 in Catalonia since the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The FIFA World Cup matches proved decisive for these results. Football broadcasts on 2Cat averaged a 10.7% share, making the channel the second most-watched in Catalonia during the tournament and the leading Catalan-language broadcaster. Notably, 2Cat doubled the audience of TV3 in the same time slots. The final match on July 19 pushed the channel to an 8.6% daily average share, the highest in its history, and peaked at over half a million viewers with a 16.3% share during the minute of highest audience.
Beyond football, 2Cat also highlighted strong performance from its own Catalan-language programming. In July, nearly 60% of its broadcast hours were in Catalan, achieving a 5.1% share for these programs. Among the most-watched shows were Pla Seqüència, hosted by Jordi Basté, with a 5.8% share; Cuina brutal at 4.8%; L’any que vas néixer and Rescat, both at 4.4%; and Punts de vista with 2.9%.
Digital platforms also saw a significant boost. RTVE Catalunya’s content on RTVE Play attracted more than 280,000 visitors in July, a 234% increase compared to the same month in 2025, according to RTVE.
For context, Catalonia’s television landscape has long been dominated by a handful of channels, with TV3 traditionally leading in Catalan-language content. The recent surge for 2Cat reflects both the enduring popularity of major sporting events and a growing appetite for diverse Catalan-language programming. The FIFA World Cup remains one of the most influential drivers of television audiences in Spain, often reshaping viewing habits and boosting channels that secure broadcast rights. The strong digital growth also signals a shift in how viewers access content, with streaming platforms playing an increasingly important role in regional media consumption.
