Fox Sports Scores Big With Women’s World Cup

Along with the U.S. women’s national team, Fox Sports scored big with the World Cup.

Fox generated an estimated $26.8 million in advertising revenue for the game coverage on its broadcast and cable networks during the tournament, according to iSpot Media.

Other sources said Fox’s ad revenue topped $30 million, outpacing the revenue generated in the 2011 World Cup, which appeared on ESPN. That total includes sponsorships, other programming and content on other platforms.

The women's World Cup is the first of several World Cups Fox will televise under a long-term agreement with FIFA.

The U.S. women defeated Japan, scoring early and often. The final score was 5-2. The championship match on Sunday drew a 15.2 rating and 27 share in metered markets, setting a new record for a soccer match on a single network. The women’s World Cup final in 1999 — USA vs. China — drew a 13.3 rating. The audience peaked at an 18.3 rating from 8:45 to 9 pm ET, when the U.S. celebrated its victory.

The top spenders on the World Cup matches were Nationwide Insurance at about $2.1 million, Fiat at $1.7 million, Ford at $1.5 million, Visa at $1.3 million and Bud Light at $1 million, according to iSpot.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.