FS1 finished with 3.3 million viewers for the U.S. team's 3-1 win over Australia in its FIFA Women's World Cup opener Monday night, making it the most-watched WWC group stage match on record. The previous mark was set in '99 for a U.S. win over Denmark that drew 2.5 million viewers. Monday's audience total is up from 1.1 million viewers for the U.S. team's opening-round win over North Korea in '11, which aired on ESPN at 11:30am ET. Monday's audience also is the largest ever for a soccer match on FS1, beating out the previous high of 806,000 for a friendly in April between the U.S. men's team and Mexico (THE DAILY).
PUTTING TIME BACK ON THE CLOCK: ESPN Radio 710 L.A. and the Lakers last night announced that they have extended their radio play-by-play relationship for two additional seasons, keeping the team on the station through the '21-22 season. The station will carry all 82 regular-season games as well as the pre- and post-season. John Ireland will continue as play-by-play commentator, with former NBAer Mychal Thompson remaining as color analyst (ESPN).
CANDID CAMERA: On Long Island, Kimberly Martin notes 24 current and former NFLers recently "signed up for the NFL's four-day broadcasting boot camp." The program, directed by the NFL Player Engagement and NFL Broadcasting departments, provides "hands-on experience in areas such as video study, editing, field reporting, radio production, studio preparation and production meetings." Of 188 players who participated over the past seven years, "more than a third have earned broadcasting jobs" (NEWSDAY, 6/10).
TIGER TALES: LSU football radio color analyst Doug Moreau yesterday said that play-by-play announcer Jim Hawthorne’s final season this fall "will likely be his also, but stressed that no decision has been made." Hawthorne in February announced that he will retire after the '15-16 basketball season (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 6/10). Meanwhile, a source said that Georgia Southern play-by-play announcer Chris Blair "interviewed Tuesday for the job" to replace Hawthorne (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 6/10).
