Soccer continues to gain a significant footprint in the United States. If you think that will stop anytime soon, you might be in for bad news. As Champions League coverage soars above expectations while the Premier League nestles itself on NBC and Peacock, the US National Team landed on the WBD networks. If the match between the US Men’s National Team and Mexico is any indication, that looks like a partnership that will breed great success.
The match between Mexico and the USMNT drew a significant rating on Wednesday night. Despite a late start time and hefty competition, viewership landed over 2 million across TBS and the NBC Universal platforms of Telemundo and Peacock.
The match drew an average of 437,000 viewers on TBS on Wednesday night, according to ShowBuzzDaily. The game drew a 0.20 in the P18-49 demographic, which charted them 12th in the Top 50 for the night in cable viewership. Soccer America reported the numbers on Friday afternoon.
According to the network, the match was the No. 1 program on Spanish-Language primetime television on the day. They reported 1.75 million viewers tuned in on Telemundo, Universo, TelemundoDeportes.com, and the Peacock and Telemundo apps. Meanwhile, Telemundo scored its most significant rating of the year.
According to a release, Telemundo and Universo drew 1.52 million viewers during the broadcast. The network announced it was the top-rated show locally in the Houston, L.A., Phoenix, and Sacramento markets.
Ahead of the game, the USA-Mexico tilt faced some criticism as a manufactured rivalry game with many top stars sitting out. Via FoxSports.com:
Wednesday’s co-called friendly match between the United States men’s national team and its main rival Mexico has been derided in some places as “El Cashico,” a meaningless exhibition/cynical money grab designed primarily to sell tens of thousands of tickets — mostly to fans of El Tri — at 63,000-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
There is no trophy on the line, despite the promise that this inaugural Continental Clásico will become an annual event pitting the USMNT and “a top-tier opponent from North, Central or South America.”
While the USA-Mexico rivalry will always generate interest, the creation of the Continental Clásico is another opportunity for the US Soccer program to give inventory to its television partners.
This is a pretty good number for a friendly match. Especially when you consider the time of night and the match’s competition. But viewers still tuned in for the hotly-contested rivalry on the pitch. The NBA and NHL Playoffs offered much higher stakes. That’s a significant victory for soccer watchers in America as the sport continues to grow in viewership numbers. Sometimes you never know, but with Team USA drawing a substantial number in the World Baseball Classic, there’s still a considerable rooting interest for America behind their athletes.
[ShowbuzzDaily, Telemundo]
