By IVES GALARCEP
The U.S. Men’s National Team’s scoreless draw vs. Mexico in World Cup qualifying action Tuesday shattered TV ratings records on both networks that showed the match in the United States on Tuesday night.
ESPN announced on Wednesday afternoon that Tuesday’s qualifier doubled the highest previous rating for a World Cup qualifier, registering a 1.4 rating (which translates to about 2.85 million viewers). The previous record for a World Cup qualifier show on an ESPN network was the 2009 World Cup qualifier between the same countries, which drew a 0.7 rating (about 1,191,000 viewers).
The ratings bonanza wasn’t limited to English-language TV. UniMas posted a new network high for audience rating, recording an audience of 4.8 million for the Spanish-language broadcast in the United States. That total is the highest every recorded by the network for any broadcast.
To sum up, about 7.65 million viewers watched USA-Mexico, making it easily the most-viewed World Cup qualifier in American soccer history.
Surprised by the numbers, especially given the 10:30pm ET start time? Think it’s a clear sign that soccer is growing rapidly in the United States? See that number being surpassed when the teams meet again in September?
Share your thoughts below.