ESPN earned a 0.9 overnight Nielsen rating for yesterday's U.S.-North Korea FIFA Women's World Cup match from 11:30am-1:30pm ET, the U.S. team's first game of the tournament. The first telecast featuring the U.S. during the '07 tournament was also against North Korea, earning a 0.2 overnight on ESPN2 at 4:45am on a Monday in September (Austin Karp, THE DAILY). SI.com’s Richard Deitsch wrote if ESPN cannot "find an audience for this month's Women's World Cup," it "won't be for a lack of resources and promotion." The net has “studio programming on site, as well as prematch, halftime and postmatch shows.” ESPN is using noted announcer Ian Darke on U.S. games and the final, as well as “thoughtful studio host” Bob Ley. The programming is “great for hardcore soccer fans,” but it provides “no guarantee that the casual fan will tune in.” ESPN Senior VP & Exec Producer Jed Drake said there is “always that twofold evaluation” in determining whether its production is a success. Drake: "One is our intrinsic read on how we did as a production team. Then, inevitably in the end, more importantly, will be our ratings. I do believe that the interest in the U.S. team is going to generate a lot of interest." Deitsch noted ESPN needs the U.S. team to “go deep in this tournament to avoid a ratings catastrophe.” Meanwhile, one thing ESPN “must negotiate during the tournament is the line between commentary and advocacy,” which is “even trickier with a host of commentators ... had major roles on the national team” (SI.com, 6/28). USA TODAY’s Michael Hiestand notes ESPN is “going all out” for the World Cup. Twenty-eight of the 32 games "will be called by announcers at game sites,” compared to three during the '07 event in China (USA TODAY, 6/29).
HAVING A PARTY: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds notes ESPNW has a "coming out/viewing party" around the U.S.-North Korea game yesterday. The net set up outside ABC's "GMA" studios and "laid down a faux green carpet/soccer field that housed bleachers so fans could watch the video screen perched above the zipper circumscribing the building." The pedestrian area "was anchored by kiosks sporting the slogan 'Because You Love To Play." There also were T-shirts and "promotional items sought to raise ESPNW's profile" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 6/29).
DAYTIME TUNE IN: In Jacksonville, Joe Daraskevich noted with the Women’s World Cup taking place in Germany, the games are being “aired in the mornings and early afternoons in the United States.” The timing “gives young sports fans the opportunity to watch while they’re wide awake,” and there is “nothing like watching top-level competition from start to finish.” The tournament “should be thrilling, and the U.S. should have a good shot at winning it all, but it’s refreshing to have a major sporting event broadcast at a reasonable hour” (JACKSONVILLE.com, 6/28).
