World Cup Loss to Ghana Is Most Watched U.S. Men's Soccer Match in History
June 28 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S.’s 2-1 loss to Ghana in the World Cup’s round of 16 on June 26 was the most watched men’s soccer match in American history, according to Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN channel. Bloomberg's Michele Steele reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
The U.S.’s 2-1 loss to Ghana in the World Cup’s round of 16 was the most watched men’s soccer match in American history, according to Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN channel.
The June 26 game, which was shown on the ABC channel, averaged an 8.2 rating, 9.455 million households and 14.9 million viewers, ESPN said yesterday in an e-mailed statement.
Only the 1999 women’s World Cup final between the U.S. and China averaged more households and viewers, with 11.307 million households and 17.975 million viewers. The meeting with Ghana was also the third highest-rated men’s World Cup game, only surpassed by the 9.3 rating of the 1994 match between the U.S. and Brazil, and a 9.5 rating for that year’s final between Italy and Brazil. The 1999 women’s final had an 11.4 rating.
“The U.S.-Ghana match represents increases of 11 percent in ratings and 13 percent in viewership from ABC’s highly anticipated U.S.-England World Cup game on June 12, which ended in a 1-1 draw,” the broadcaster said.
San Diego was the top market for the game against Ghana, with a 15.4 rating. San Diego was the top market for all three previous U.S. matches.
Through 50 games of this year’s World Cup, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC are averaging a 1.8 U.S. rating, 2,081,000 households, and 2,781,000 viewers. The rating is 48 percent higher than the last World Cup in 2006.
To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Elser in Cape Town at celser@bloomberg.net.
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