Univision and ESPN combined to put up strong numbers for the opener of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Friday’s Mexico/South Africa World Cup opener drew 5.4 million viewers on Univision and 2.6 million on ESPN, equaling a combined audience of just under 8.0 million viewers.
The match was the most-viewed Opening Day World Cup telecast ever on Univision.
Univision’s telecast of the Mexico/South Africa match was the most-viewed program of the day in three top 10 TV markets — Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston.
Later in the day, Uruguay/France drew 2.5 million viewers on Univision. Viewership for ESPN’s telecast of the same match was not immediately available.
Overall, Univision averaged 4.0 million viewers for the first day of the World Cup, “nearly 2.0 million more” than the first day of the 2006 World Cup. ESPN averaged 2.7 million viewers for its coverage.
