David Beckham's Impact On MLS Match Ratings On ESPN2

The first ESPN2 game telecast featuring MF David Beckham playing for the MLS Galaxy was on August 5, 2007 in a game against Toronto FC. That game drew a 0.3 cable rating and 386,000 viewers. Among the 11 ESPN2 regular-season telecasts featuring the Galaxy since that date, the most-viewed was a match against Chivas USA on August 23, 2007, which averaged 641,000 viewers. Last season, no Galaxy telecast on ESPN2 topped 400,000 viewers. The chart below details the difference in cable ratings and viewership between MLS ESPN2 games with Beckham and those without Beckham for the '08 and '07 regular seasons (THE DAILY).