Landon Donovan‘s game winning goal gave the U.S. men’s soccer team new life and ESPN/ABC another opportunity for big ratings.
The United States’ 1-0 win over Algeria drew a 4.4 overnight rating on ESPN Wednesday morning, the second-highest overnight ever for a World Cup match on the network.
Only Germany/United States in 2002 drew a higher overnight.
With the win, the U.S. avoided elimination from the World Cup. The team will play Ghana on ABC this Saturday.
San Diego was the top market for Wednesday’s game, with an 8.9 rating. Baltimore (6.4) and San Francisco (6.1) followed, with Washington, D.C., Sacramento, Houston and Las Vegas each tied with a 5.4. Keep in mind that the telecast began at 7:00 AM local time in the Pacific Time Zone.
