A move from daytime on cable to primetime on broadcast paid dividends for the MLS Cup.
The Sounders/Toronto F.C. MLS Cup had a 0.8 final rating and 1.4 million viewers on the FOX broadcast network Saturday night, up 100% in ratings and 111% in viewership from Crew/Timbers last year (0.4, 668K) and up 60% and 46%, respectively, from Revolution/Galaxy in 2014 (0.5, 964K). Those telecasts took place on Sunday afternoons and aired on ESPN.
The FOX broadcast, which peaked with 2.2 million viewers from 10:45-11 PM ET, ranks as the most-watched MLS Cup since Galaxy/Earthquakes in 2001. It is also tied as the highest rated over that span, matching the 2002 and 2004-08 games. Compared to the last MLS Cup to air on a broadcast network, ratings increased a third and viewership 56% from a 0.6 and 907,000 for Crew/Red Bulls on ABC in 2008.
Spanish-language coverage of Saturday’s match delivered 601,000 viewers on UniMas and Univision Deportes Network, up 19% from last year (506K) but down 11% from 2014 (678K). It was the second-most watched MLS Cup on the Univision family of networks, behind only 2014.
Together, the English and Spanish-language broadcasts combined for 2.0 million viewers — up 71% from last year (1.2M), up 23% from 2014 (1.6M), and the largest combined audience for the event since at least 2011.
Head-to-head, the MLS Cup trailed the Heisman Trophy Presentation on ESPN (2.6M) and the network’s 30 For 30 documentary premiere Catholics vs. Convicts (2.1M). Compared to other club soccer events, it was no match for a recent Liga MX semifinal on Univision and UDN (2.8M) but comfortably topped every English Premier League match in U.S. TV history (all time record of 1.7 million).
Figures do not include the 1.4 million who watched on TSN in Canada, as Canadian viewership does not count toward U.S. television ratings.
(Numbers from Fox Sports, Univision)
