Got a press release in the last hour from Bristol, CT on the ratings ESPN garnered for last Sunday’s Confederations Cup. ESPN is very happy about the interest in the game and moving the final between the US men’s soccer team and Brazil to the Mothership at the last moment, having originally been scheduled for ESPN2.
Here’s the word.
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final – U.S. Men’s National Team’s Biggest Audience Outside the World Cup
Sunday’s 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup final live on ESPN from Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa, – a 3-2 victory for Brazil over the United States – was the most-watched non-FIFA World Cup match featuring the U.S. Men’s Soccer National Team on the network, with an average of 3.945 million viewers. The telecast, aired Sunday, June 28, at 2 p.m. ET, was seen by an average of 2.556 million television homes, based on a 2.6 rating.
The match, in which Brazil, No. 5 in the FIFA World Rankings, overcame a 2-0 deficit in the first half to defeat the 14th ranked U.S. Team, also delivered the third largest audience for a U.S. Men’s National Team match on ESPN, trailing two World Cup matches – June 21, 2002, Germany vs. U.S., seen by 5.335 million viewers, and June 22, 1994, U.S. vs. Colombia, seen by 4.810 million viewers.
The five most-viewed U.S. Men’s Team matches:
Date
Event
Matchup
Viewers (P2+)
HH Imps
Rating
June 21, 2002
2002 World Cup-Qtr-final
Germany vs. U.S.
5,335,000
3,772,000
4.4
June 22, 1994
1994 World Cup-1st RD
U.S. vs. Colombia
4,810,000
2,686,000
4.3
June 28, 2009
FIFA Confed Cup-Final
U.S. vs. Brazil
3,945,000
2,556,000
2.6
June 22, 2006
2006 World Cup-1st RD
Ghana vs. U.S.
3,819,000
2,902,000
3.2
June 16, 2002
2002 World Cup-2nd RD
Mexico vs. U.S.
2,935,000
1,983,000
2.3
Can’t blame ESPN for crowing about its soccer ratings considering it hardly gets viewership for the MLS.
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