Mike Koeshartanto

Soccer on U.S. TV September 2018

Newsflash: Fall is in full swing here in Chicago. As temperatures nosedive and leaves begin to fall, we’re given the perfect excuse to stay inside and watch soccer… which is great because September was very busy! Now that leagues around the world are in full swing, the first full month of European leagues and a FIFA international break gave fans ample opportunities to watch the sport.

For the first time since October 2017, we surpassed 300 monthly games on TV – booyah! A big thank you to the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, MLS, Premier League, Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, the Ecuadorian Serie A, and 24 leagues other and competitions featured during the month.

The most-watched matches of the month shouldn’t be too surprising thanks to the FIFA international break. The U.S. vs. Mexico match in Nashville brought in over 3M viewers on ESPN and Univision, while the U.S. vs. Brazil game at MetLife approached 2M viewers on FS1 and Univision. In Canada, Toronto FC played host to Tigres in the first edition of the MLS & Liga MX champions duel, Campeones Cup. The result didn’t go so well for the struggling Toronto team, but the 1.2M viewers number for the new competition gives it a good base to improve on in future years. Rounding out the top five was the big Liverpool vs. PSG bout in the Champions League with 1M viewers on Univision and the new kid on the block, TNT.

See you back here soon for next month’s recap of Soccer on U.S. TV – happy trick-or-treating!

 

Categories: Broadcast, ESPN, Liga MX, Mexican National Team, Paris Saint Germain, Streaming, Television Ratings, U.S. Soccer, UEFA Champions League