The 2016 MLS Cup final was a TV rating success on both sides of the border.
Fox Sports announced that the 2016 MLS Cup attracted more than 1.4 million viewers, the highest number for an MLS final since 2001. The audience peaked at 2.15 million during the penalty shootout
The match viewership increased by 111 percent (668,000) from 2015’s broadcast on ESPN. This was Fox’s first MLS Cup final and 2016 marked a return to network TV for the first time since 2008.
Univision Deportes who had the Spanish-language rights in the U.S., drew more than 600,000 viewers on its network.
TSN, the Canadian rights holders for the final, also announced a record viewership of 1.5 million with a peak audience of 2.7 million. The network says 4.2 million people in Canada watched at least part of the game on the network.
Man there are a lot of whiners.
World peace achieved for first time ever!!!!
Comment one: That is awesome
Whiner response: Humans still stink
Whiner II: Short lived
Whiner III: We still need Promotion-Relegation
MLS obviously isn’t Brasil v. Argentina, but viewers of the MLS Cup complaining about anti-football in a final as if its a new development in world soccer are rather uneducated. That complaint is firmly part of the establishment. It would be nice if someone in the sport could figure out a way to get teams to play more offense-minded in a one-off final so we don’t have to go to penalties on a regular basis. As for the final, it was a nervy game between two teams who regularly draw crowds larger than the attendance at many European and South American games. That’s good for the sport, period.
Probably the most sensible and realistic comment about the game that I’ve seen. The insecurity that so many MLS fans/US Soccer fans have is not a good look…
You don’t have to be a eurosnob, purist, MLS-hater, etc.to call out a turd when you see one. This game was horrendous, anti-football at its best, kicking and screaming awfulness…if there were 10 people who had never seen an MLS game before and tuned in for the final, this was their first and last MLS game, I guarantee you that.
Just like Liverpool -Manchester United a couple of months back was awful, just like France v. Portugal game last summer was so bad I switched to catch up on the tv shows I had dvr’d…again, awful is awful is awful…
Do you even like the game? Are you one of those people who are not happy unless you are complaining about something? If you hate all games now, why watch? Or why complain about it on these sites? You have the ability to turn it off.
Just sayin…..
Sounders are a big club and that alone draws
MLS’ propensity to grossly inflate their numbers aside, that’s the advantage of scheduling a championship game for when there’s absolutely nothing else on TV
So
It comes down to is MLS lying or is Rob just whining again?
It is only Wednesday these tough questions….alright it i s Rob whining. MLS is not lying. I think the tipping point for me might have been that these were not MLS numbers. They were FOX numbers….the headline specifically says that.
Every sports league inflates their numbers. You understand that, right?
Come on!!!
All players love to win any Cup they can. It validates their struggles to be a soccer player. It matters.
..and according to Old School, nobody cares about winning MLS Cup.
If people did, for that MLS Final, they’ll rapidily go back to not caring. Also, this thread link isn’t exactly a glowing endorsement for MLS: http://sbisoccer.com/2016/12/mls-cup-final-sbi-live-commentary
…but keep trying to shine a turd for no reason.
Educated soccer fans can find a lot of things to bitch about regarding this game, but, in the grand scheme of things, it was an entertaining spectacle that will only help anchor MLS in it’s growth.