U.S.-Mexico Scores Ratings Records For ESPN2, Univision
Match Marks Top World Cup Qualifier For Deuce; Most-Watched Spanish-Language Sporting Event In U.S.
Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 2/13/2009 11:54:52 AM
The United States' 2-0 victory over Mexico Wednesday night was ESPN2's most-watched World Cup qualifier ever and was seen by more viewers than any other sporting event in the history of Spanish-language TV in this nation.
The contest in Crew Stadium in Columbus, marked the third straight time the U.S. topped El Tricolor in a CONCACAF qualifier in that venue by that score, this time courtesy of a pair of goals from Michael Bradley. When the sides met on Sept. 3, 2005, the game averaged 950,856 viewers for ESPN2, so Wednesday night's telecast scored 26% audience amelioration over its equivalent four years ago.
For its part, ESPN Deportes' Futbol Picante, the network's Mexican soccer nightly news and information program, enjoyed its two most-watched telecasts ever, around the match.
The 6 p.m. pregame earned a 2.6 Hispanic rating, representing an average of 192,000 Hispanic viewers. The 9 p.m. edition, immediately following the match, averaged a 2.9 Hispanic rating, representing 223,000 Hispanics viewers.
Meantime, Univision rang up much larger numbers with its Feb. 11 coverage of Mexico-U.S., averaging just under 5.9 million watchers, according to NTI fast nationals data.
Mexico-U.S. was seen in its entirety or in part by 10.7 million, and was watched by more viewers than any other sporting event in the history of Spanish-language television, according to Univision officials.
The Feb. 11 CONCACAF qualifier scored a 15% advance in viewership over the Feb. 6, 2008 "friendly" between the nations, which drew 5.09 million watchers on average. (ESPN2's coverage netted 749, 000 viewers.)
Moreover, Univision said Wednesday's match out-delivered the 2008 contest by 9% among adults 18 to 49 (to 3.61 million of those watchers); 11% among men 18 to 49 (2.26 million); 23% adults 18 to 34 (2.34 million); 28% among men 18 to 34 (1.49 million); 12% among adults 25 to 54 (3.13 million); and 15% among men 25 to 54 (1.94 million).
The next two U.S. men's CONCACAF qualifiers on ESPN2 are slated for March 28 at 9 p.m., when the Americans visit El Salvador at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador, and April 1 at 7:30 p.m., when they host Trinidad & Tobago at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn.
Playing a series of home-and-away matches, three of the six teams in CONCACAF qualifying, which also include Costa Rica and Honduras, automatically advance to the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The fourth-place finisher squares off against the fifth-place finisher from South America to secure a berth in the FIFA tourney.
