Viewership for the 2010 FIFA World Cup has increased by over 50%.
Through Saturday (50 matches), ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC have averaged a 1.8 U.S. rating and 2.781 million viewers for coverage of the World Cup, up 48% in ratings and 60% in viewership from 2006 (1.2, 1.740 mil).
ESPN/ABC got a significant boost from the presence of the United States, whose four matches drew audiences of 13.130 million (vs. England, ABC), 5.200 million (vs. Slovenia, ESPN), 6.161 million (vs. Algeria, ESPN) and 14.863 million (vs. Ghana, ABC).
Saturday’s aforementioned Ghana/USA game ranks as the most-viewed Men’s World Cup telecast ever in the United States.
Elsewhere on Saturday, ESPN drew a 2.2 U.S. rating and 3.2 million viewers for Uruguay/South Korea.
(ESPN)
