U.S. Women’s Run at World Cup Lifts Ratings for Ailing Fox

Women’s soccer has achieved what most new shows have failed to deliver at Fox: a surge in viewers.

With the success of the U.S. team led by midfielder Carli Lloyd and forward Alex Morgan, Fox’s ratings have risen as much as 23 percent since the FIFA Women’s World Cup began airing in prime time on June 12. The recent gains are the network’s first since late March, when the new hit “Empire” was the hottest show on TV. Fox has lost a fifth of its viewers this TV season, which began in September.