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Sunday doubleheader sets new MLS broadcast viewership record

Photo by John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Photo by John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Major League Soccer set a new broadcast viewership record on Sunday thanks to some clever programming in partnership with the NFL and FOX.

FOX Sports announced via press release on Tuesday that the split-national MLS broadcast on FOX on Sunday, the 18th, had a total viewership of 1,298,000, the highest the league has ever recorded on any network in 12 years.

Through a clever partnership with the NFL, viewers in the 1:00 PM ET game NFL markets saw their matches followed with a 3-3 draw between Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls, while viewers in the 4:30 PM ET game NFL markets saw that match preceded by a 2-2 draw between Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy.

The partnership marked the first time in the league’s 21 seasons that a network partner televised matches from two different leagues on the same network at the same time.

Comments

  1. I wondered why my DVR didn’t record the East Coast game. Now I get it.

    MLS just continues on. One day the rest of the people are going to look up and realize that MLS has a worth watching, very competitive and very talented league. In the meantime the smarter ones are enjoying the heck out of it.

    Sounders to win out and win it all. Seeeeaaaaatle…

    Reply
  2. I watched the NY Giants game (1pm ET start), and was really impressed by the amount of promotion Fox did for the NYRB game that started afterwards. Glad they saw it pay off.

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  3. ota will always have higher viewership MLs needs to do this more often

    Mexican league already does this they should push univision for some sunday matches like we used to have back in the early days, you’ll see ratings jump

    Reply

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