re: USA-Portugal match draws more viewers than NBA Finals or World Series

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I love these kinds of comments. Are you forced to watch ESPN?

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Of course not, and I would have watched regardless of ESPN's ad blitz, but their marketing has been effective, and you can't deny that.

ESPN/ABC obtained the rights to broadcast the World Cup in the USA, so they have promoted it accordingly, and that includes shoving it down our throats. I would imagine they have effectively garnered a few more viewers than they would have had if they had promoted it as just another set of games.

Nancy Kerrigan drew 126 million.. beat that soccer.

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and you can't deny that.

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Why would I have any interest in doing so?

I just don't know what you're arguing here. Why would ESPN promoting the WC be a bad thing?

Last years MLS Cup Final had a 0.5 rating.... 2001 was the last time they had a 1.0 rating or higher.


Soccer is very popular right now with national pride and all but lets not pretend it is ready to over throw MLB, basketball, or football.... and it is the most popular youth sport so maybe things change in next 15 years but it isn't happening that now.

The world cup is averaging a 2.5 rating overall right no according to ESPN

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ESPN, meanwhile, says it is averaging a 2.5 rating and 4.1 million viewers through its first 14 matches, up from 2.1 and 3.34 million four years ago. It is averaging 257,000 viewers per minute and 736,000 viewers per match on its WatchESPN platform

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Soke folks watch because of good marketing?

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YES. frick. That's the point of marketing.

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So its not different than other major sporting events then what was the point in saying it in the first place?

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I pointed out to you in my last post how it was different. The hype began to build about a year ago. You don't have that with any other sport because of the nature of the tournament.

Does ESPN promote all of its sporting events? Yes. No shite. Water is wet. But they have done a marketing blitz with this, cross-promoting it on their talk shows, ensuring that soccer highlights from qualifying games were shown on Sports Center in big promotional pieces, and finally hyping it up even more with commercials and promotions here toward the beginning of the Cup.

It has been promoted, just like every other event they do, but it has been promoted in a way that it has invaded the American sports fan's consciousness. ESPN and ABC have fantastic marketing campaigns. If you're to believe some conspiracy theorists, ESPN is responsible for the long string of titles the SEC has won because ESPN has been all over the SEC's jockstrap ever since they signed a contract to show SEC football.

The more critics talk about something, the more it is watched, the more it is investigated. The more hype is built up. They have created a ton of buzz around the World Cup and they have done so with a purpose.

Therefore, you fricking ingrates, ESPN's marketing is, in some fashion, responsible for the increase in viewership. It's fricking obvious and elementary to what a good network does.

Is it a bad thing? No. Did I say it was? No. I was acknowledging the circumstances leading up to the ratings that were produced on Sunday. You two have latched onto the fact that I said that ESPN has been "shoving the World Cup down our throats," as some sort of indication that I hate what they've done. That is not the case. I'm simply acknowledging that ESPN has created a sports atmosphere (and as the largest cable sports network in America, they certainly have the power to do so) in which the World Cup and the USA's participation therein have become ubiquitous. They have shoved it down our throats.

Mother. frick.

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Yes, for soccer to ever be HUGELY popular in the US, MLS will have to gain more traction. But people act like MLS is the only avenue for growth of the game in this country. I would say, outside of the WC and all that comes with that, the Champions League is mainly what is driving soccer growth.

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If the MLS were to heavily invest in player development systems (which it is doing) and to heavily invest in star power (which it is dabbling in, but ineffectively), Soccer will eventually become more popular than the NHL. It is on an upward trend.

You're right. ESPN doesn't promote the NBA Finals or the World Series, so I now understand your point.

I'll watch all of the USA matches, most ppl will fan or not.

the question is how many, like myself, will watch USA team but none of the other matches?

I have no interest in soccer, but I want to see how they do vs the world.

4 million Americans averaging on the other games is nothing in reality. Means its just a country bump, not a actual game bump