Soccer may not do well in most demographics, and ratings for MLS games may comparable to ratings for WNBA and Arena Football League games. However, soccer is doing very well on Spanish-speaking networks, drawing numbers that fare very well against competition from at least three of the Big Four major sports leagues.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup final drew a 2.5 rating on Univision, 56% higher than the 1.6 average for three Stanley Cup Finals games on NBC. The 2.5 rating is also 25% higher than the 2.0 average for regular season NBA games on ABC, and is even with the season-to-date average for baseball on FOX.
In Los Angeles, the match between the U.S. and Mexico drew an 11.1 rating with an average of 622,000 viewers. As a comparison, the clinching game of the Stanley Cup Finals drew a 6.0 rating in L.A., with 496,000 viewers. That a soccer event on a Spanish-speaking network could double the local rating for the clinching game of the Stanley Cup Finals — a series that the Anaheim Ducks won — is actually more a reflection on soccer than hockey.
While several outlets erroneously reported that the World Cup Final drew a higher rating than any NBA Finals game in 2006 (completely inaccurate, as the World Cup Final drew a 7.0 rating on ABC, while the lowest rated NBA Finals game that year drew a 7.8), it should be pointed out that when combining the amount of viewers on ABC and Univision, the match between Italy and France drew appx. 17 million viewers, higher than the 2006 NBA Finals and comparable to the 2006 World Series.
Especially among Spanish-speaking demos, soccer does very well. And if the 2006 World Cup was any indication, the sport is becoming more mainstream in the U.S., at least for its marquee event. However, do not look for that interest to translate into success for Major League Soccer, which has never gained traction domestically.
