Tuesday night's U.S.-Mexico FIFA World Cup qualifying match, a 0-0 tie from Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, averaged 2.39 million viewers and earned a 1.4 Nielsen rating, making it ESPN's most-watched and highest-rated qualifying match on record. Birmingham was the highest-rated local rating, with a 2.9. It was followed by Austin (2.6), Seattle-Tacoma (2.4), Columbus (2.4), L.A. (2.3), San Diego (2.3) and Hartford-New Haven (2.3) (ESPN).
|
MOST-VIEWED WORLD CUP QUALIFYING/INT'L FRIENDLY MATCHES ON ESPN
|
| DATE |
MATCH |
NETWORK
|
RATING
|
VIEWERS
|
| March 26, 2013 |
Mexico vs. USA (WCQ) |
ESPN
|
1.4
|
2,385,000
|
| Feb. 11, 2009 |
USA vs. Mexico (WCQ) |
ESPN2
|
0.7
|
1,191,000
|
| May 30, 2012 |
USA vs. Brazil (Friendly) |
ESPN2
|
0.6
|
1,128,000
|
| Feb. 7, 2007 |
USA vs. Mexico (Friendly) |
ESPN2
|
0.6
|
1,091,000
|
| Oct. 14, 2009 |
USA vs. Costa Rica (WCQ) |
ESPN2
|
0.6
|
1,090,000
|
NOT LOST IN TRANSLATION: VARIETY's Rick Kissell noted Spanish-language network UniMas' telecast of the U.S.-Mexico match "beat big-brother network Univision as well as Telemundo to stand as the No. 1 Spanish-language broadcast station" in half of the top 10 markets in the U.S. Among adults 18-34, the match drew 1.5 million viewers to "rule as the No. 3 primetime program" on all of TV Tuesday night. UniMas' telecast "had a median age of just 34.1" (
VARIETY.com, 3/27).
HEAR ME ROAR: The United States Soccer Federation last week announced the U.S. men's national soccer team will play Germany on June 2 at RFK Stadium in the "Centennial Celebration Match" to recognize 100 years of organized soccer in the U.S. In DC, Steven Goff wrote, "Great matchup, terrific event, historic venue. Well done." But he asked, "What about the women?" There are "no plans at the moment for a women's home game tied directly to the USSF's centennial." The organization "dropped the ball on the centennial planning." It is not like USSF President Sunil Gulati was "taken by surprise." The women "deserve a stand-alone game to honor their wealth of achievements." Goff: "At the very least, they deserved to be part of a doubleheader" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/22).
