soccer has achieved a TV foothold

[nehemiah]

and everyone who doesn't like soccer can suck it.

:upyours:

As much as everyone makes fun of American TV coverage of the World Cup — including Budweiser ads in the U.K. — it is also true that the ratings for this World Cup are through the roof in the U.S., more than double those of 2002. That’s largely because most of the games in 2002 were on at 5 a.m. or similar ungodly hours, while this year they are on at much more civil times in the morning and afternoon. Still, the numbers are remarkable, for both English-language and Spanish-language telecasts.

The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reported Tuesday that Univision’s audience — 1,442,000 households — is up 133 percent from 2002. ABC has averaged 3,739,000 viewers for eight weekend games, up 103 percent from 2002. ESPN’s audience (1,370,000 households) is up 150 percent, and ESPN2’s (938,000 households), is up 66.7 percent.

The big jump in the Spanish-language ratings included the June 10 Mexico-Iran match, which was the No. 1 weekend daytime program among adults 18-34 for any network, Spanish or English. That figure was surpassed by the June 24 Mexico-Argentina game, with an audience of 6.7 million, making it the single largest sportscast among Hispanic viewers ever, including Super Bowls, and the fifth-most-watched Spanish-language telecast of any kind, ever.

On the English-language side, Crain’s Television Week reported on June 19, the U.S.-Czech game was the highest-rated telecast of any kind on ESPN2 so far this year.

But to get the full impact of the increase in viewership, as the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel noted, you have to add the ABC/ESPN rating to the Univision rating.

“If you take the rating for the U.S.-Italy match on ABC (4.4),” the Journal-Sentinel reported, “and combine it with the Univision rating for the match (1.7), you get a 6.1, which makes it the weekend’s most-watched daytime event, beating the U.S. Open golf tournament and the NASCAR auto race in Michigan.”
http://worldcup.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=279

[nyjunc]

I don't know what this proves? Big events always do well in the ratings, outside of the WC soccer could never get decent ratings and these ratings they are crowing about aren't even that great. They are combining english and spanish networks to prove something? We know the Spanish channel will get big ratings as those are the only people that care about soccer in this Country. That was a game involving the US, what have the ratings been since we were eliminated? either way it will all be forgotten shortly just as it was after the success of the '94 WC and the '99 WWC.

[nehemiah]

not true. stop lyin', jets fan.

soccer is here to stay. it has made steady progress over the past 10 years. get used to it.

**** golf and NASCAR. they are both about to be replaced.

[г]

But can you park your arrr-veee inside the stadium ?

[Mouldsie]

all my friends who played in HS watch it.... it's poplar with the kids

[K-Gun]

English Premiere League games on Fox Sports World RULZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nyjunc]

not true. stop lyin', jets fan.

soccer is here to stay. it has made steady progress over the past 10 years. get used to it.

**** golf and NASCAR. they are both about to be replaced.

Whatever you say. Pele couldn't sustain success here, the attention of the '94 WC couldn't sustain success here but this WC will? Come on, MLS is terrible and nobody watches it. The WC itslef will always be interesting simply b/c it's int'l competition and as long as the games are on TV at a frinedly hour for US viewers it will do ok but the game itself will never be a popular spectator sport in the US.

[sukie]

not true. stop lyin', jets fan.

soccer is here to stay. it has made steady progress over the past 10 years. get used to it.

**** golf and NASCAR. they are both about to be replaced.

Soccer will disappear for the next 4 years. FACT. kinda like the healthcare crisis.

[nehemiah]

MLS gets bigger crowds than english footie. you all don't know what you're talking about.

that's kewl, though... keep dreaming. and you can just be crotchety old men.

the rest of us will be watching some footie.

:rockon:

[г]

Toronto's getting a MLS franchise and a new stadium for 2007.

They're smart enough to realize it's still small-market and the new stadium will only have 20,000 seats.

[sukie]

MLS gets bigger crowds than english footie. you all don't know what you're talking about.

that's kewl, though... keep dreaming. and you can just be crotchety old men.

the rest of us will be watching some footie.

:rockon:
Where will you be watching... Univision? Telemundo?

[nehemiah]

whichever one has the ladies from REPUBLICA DEPORTIVA!

i love that show.

[sukie]

I'd watch if they had scantilly clad Jackie Guerrido as a sideline reporter.

[nehemiah]

I'd watch if they had scantilly clad Jackie Guerrido as a sideline reporter.dude. they have hot women dancing before and after the match... during halftime, as well.

nehemiah wouldn't steer you wrong, sukiemiah. check it out, homie.

[nyjunc]

MLS gets bigger crowds than english footie. you all don't know what you're talking about.

that's kewl, though... keep dreaming. and you can just be crotchety old men.

the rest of us will be watching some footie.

:rockon:

Yep, when I turn on the Metrostars(or whatevre their silly name is now) and see about 10,000 people in an 80,000 seat Stadium I say to myself "This soccer thing is cathing on!".:spit:

[г]

And if someone yells 'INS! Can I see your green card ?' ,the crowd all of a sudden goes down to 3-4,000 ;)

[nehemiah]

Yep, when I turn on the Metrostars(or whatevre their silly name is now) and see about 10,000 people in an 80,000 seat Stadium I say to myself "This soccer thing is cathing on!".:spit:solipsism is the sign of a small mind.

and the NY team averages 17,000+ per match.

[nyjunc]

solipsism is the sign of a small mind.

and the NY team averages 17,000+ per match.

You can believe the #s they send out but your eyes should tell you different. that place is as empty as can be, there's no way they get 17K, i was being generous saying 10K.

Click the link, at the link click on video highlights for FC Dallas at red Bulls. They reprot 52,000 were at the game. watch the video highlights and tell me if there were 52,000 people at that game. They would be lucky to have 10K. The building is EMPTY.

http://fc.dallas.mlsnet.com/MLS/sights/index.jsp?club=fcd&week=0528

[nehemiah]

You can believe the #s they send out but your eyes should tell you different. that place is as empty as can be, there's no way they get 17K, i was being generous saying 10K.

Click the link, at the link click on video highlights for FC Dallas at red Bulls. They reprot 52,000 were at the game. watch the video highlights and tell me if there were 52,000 people at that game. They would be lucky to have 10K. The building is EMPTY.

http://fc.dallas.mlsnet.com/MLS/sights/index.jsp?club=fcd&week=0528at about 1:33 you can see that there are plenty of people in the stands.

i don't know about 52,000... :rofl: but there are easily 17,000 in there.

just more evidence that we need soccer-specific stadia.

soccer will rule the world... including the US, o yes it will.

and that first goal was on a nice through-ball. good stuff.

[sukie]

Soccer wil never eclipse the NFL... nothing will.

[Scary Good]

Soccer is brutal. It will never be big, sorry to say.

[nyjunc]

Soccer wil never eclipse the NFL... nothing will.

The NFL? I don't think it will ever eclipse the WNBA.

[K-Gun]

Where will you be watching... Univision? Telemundo?

It's called Fox Sports World. Learn to love it, it's here to stay.

[ckg68]

Here's a better reason why ratings for the WC are better in '06 than they were in '02,nehe: THE GAMES ARE NOT TAPE DELAYED! They were when Japan & South Korea hosted the Cup. And that should hold when South Africa hosts the WC on 2010.

Sorry to say,don't look for the US to be as competitive in the world soccer scene in the near future. MLS' plan is for their teams to build soccer-primary stadiums to ensure a good revenue flow(at least a few teams have this model in place: Chicago(just opened a new crib in June),Columbus,Los Angeles(both the Galaxy and Chivas USA),and Dallas). DC United,New England and Toronto FC have made plans to,likewise,build such stadiums. Now,whether that funnels down to youth programs,the U-17 team,etc. so the country's soccer squad remains what it is is quite another matter.

[BillsFan0688]

Here's a better reason why ratings for the WC are better in '06 than they were in '02,nehe: THE GAMES ARE NOT TAPE DELAYED! They were when Japan & South Korea hosted the Cup. And that should hold when South Africa hosts the WC on 2010.


That's probably true. I remember getting up at ungodly hours to watch some games in 02.

[BigPapi]

If they showed soccer from Europe over here I would watch with some interest, but no we have the mls which is basically the nfl europe of soccer.

[sukie]

It's called Fox Sports World. Learn to love it, it's here to stay.
uh... bet those head to head ratings with "We" and the "Food Network" are stellar. I bet QVC rates higher.

[JLB]

To make it more fun to watch I would eliminate all off sides.
Equal and fair also the goal would be increased in size.
Height 3ft. more Width 6ft. more its fair both teams face the same problem.
Don't you hate it when it just sails over the top or goes wide.
If that didn't work I make it even bigger.