ESPN2 set a viewership record for coverage of the MLS Western Conference Final.
Friday’s Dynamo/Galaxy game drew a 0.5 U.S. rating and 700,000 viewers on ESPN2, making the match the most-viewed MLS telecast ever on the network. The previous record was 658,000 viewers for a regular season Galaxy/Chivas USA match in ’07.
The match drew an additional 121,000 viewers on ESPN Deportes.
Dynamo/Galaxy had the benefit of a highly-rated lead-in from a West Virginia/Cincinnati college football game, which drew a 2.3 and 3.6 million viewers.
To put the numbers in perspective, the 700,000 viewers for Friday’s game tops every game of the 2009 WNBA Playoffs, including the Finals.
ESPN2 is averaging a 0.3 U.S. rating and 392,000 viewers for coverage of the MLS Playoffs, up 50% and 36%, respectively, from a 0.2 and 288,000 last year. ESPN Deportes is averaging 76,000 viewers, down 8% from 83,000 last year.
Source: ESPN, via Fang’s Bites
