The Chelsea FC victory over the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday night was the most viewed MLS telecast ever on ESPN. The exhibition, which featured the debut of David Beckham, drew 1.5 million viewers. The match was “the most-viewed and highest-rated program of the night on ad-supported cable networks among Men 18-49 and 25-54.”
The match averaged a 1.0 cable rating and 947,000 households. As a comparison, NBA games averaged a 1.2 cable rating and 1.1 million households on TNT during the 2006-07 season, and Major League Baseball games are averaging a 1.5 rating and 1.4 million households on ESPN through the first half of this season.
The 1.5 million viewers for Beckham’s debut nearly equaled the 1.6 million viewers who tuned into Game 3 of the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals between Anaheim and Ottawa — a game that aired on network television (NBC). The match also drew more viewers than one NBA game on ABC this season, the record-low setting Phoenix Suns/Sacramento Kings game on March 25, which drew 1.3 million viewers.
The 2006 MLS Cup, which aired on ABC, drew a 0.8 rating with 946,000 households and 1.3 million viewers.
