Brazilian women's league sees record crowd and audience growth in 2026

Women's A1 final sets attendance and TV audience records Credits: Rebeca Reis/Staff Images Woman/CBF

The 2026 season was historic for women's football in Brazil. In total, 52 million Brazilians watched Brasileirão Feminino A1 matches on TV Globo, the competition's broadcast rights holder, with record figures in the Northeast, Southeast and South regions. The final, which secured the title for São Paulo last Saturday (3), reached 23 million viewers.

The 52 million viewers recorded in 2026 make this season the most watched in three years. The record also reflects the popularity the sport has gained among key audience segments, with growth among women, socioeconomic classes A and B, teenagers aged 12 to 17 and young adults aged 18 to 24.

The national average audience rating was 10 points, 34% higher than the ratings of the three main competing free-to-air broadcasters. The increase in viewership was a nationwide phenomenon: Salvador recorded its highest-ever rating, at 12.1 points.

Rio de Janeiro recorded 11.4 points; São Paulo, 10.1; Recife, 10; Curitiba, 9.5; and Porto Alegre, 8.7. All these state capitals recorded their highest ratings in three years during this season.

The peak came in the competition's decisive final, when 23 million Brazilians watched the match on TV Globo. While the national average audience rating was 12.3 points, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo recorded the two highest-ever ratings for women's football in Brazil, at 14.4 and 13.6 points, respectively.

Online, the topic also became a trend: content related to the Brasileirão Feminino reached 23 million views on the championship broadcast rights holder's social media accounts, eight times the figure for the 2025 edition. During the final, #BrasileirãoFeminino remained among Brazil's Trending Topics for two hours.