The USWNT dominated the Women’s World Cup on the field and in the ratings, but it was the non-U.S. matches that kept viewership within striking distance of 2015.
The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup averaged a 1.0 rating and 1.66 million viewers on Fox Sports, flat in ratings and down 9% in viewership from 2015 (1.0, 1.82M), but up a tick and 10% respectively from 2011 on ESPN and ESPN2 (0.9, 1.51M). Figures include pre-match coverage.
Viewership had been up six percent entering the weekend, but a steep decline for Sunday morning’s final — which fell more than a third from the primetime final in 2015 — reversed the trend.
Even so, the modest decline in viewership can be considered a win, given the shift in time zones from Canada four years ago to France. No match this year began after 3 PM ET, while a number of matches in 2015 aired in primetime.
The time shift had a significant impact on USWNT matches, which averaged a 3.6 and 6.03 million — down 16% in ratings and 25% in viewership from 2015 (4.3, 8.07M), but up 29% and 27% respectively from 2011 (2.8, 4.74M). Five of the seven U.S. matches declined, the lone exceptions being U.S.-Chile in the group stage and the U.S.-France quarterfinal. Every U.S. match in 2015 aired in primetime.
The non-U.S. matches picked up the slack, averaging a 0.6 and 971,000 — up 29% in ratings and 19% in viewership from 2015 (0.49, 819K) and up 54% and 63% respectively from 2011 (0.41, 596K). If minuscule draws compared to the USWNT, the sheer number of non-U.S. matches — 45 — narrowed the gap from 2015.
The Women’s World Cup averaged fewer viewers than last year’s World Cup on Fox Sports, which did not involve a U.S. team (2.72M, including pre-match). The 39% gap was smaller than four years ago (55%).
Telemundo averaged 301,000 for its Women’s World Cup coverage, a figure that includes streaming and excludes pre-match coverage — up 27% from 2015 (237K) and the highest on record for Spanish-language coverage of the event.
Austin, Tex., led all markets for Fox Sports’ coverage, averaging a 2.2 rating. San Diego and Kansas City tied for second-place, with a 2.0.
[Numbers from Fox Sports, Telemundo PR 7.8]
