U.S. soccer ratings top NBA Finals

[Eleazar]

NEW YORK -- An estimated 21.6 million people watched Belgium knock out the United States in the World Cup on U.S. television -- an impressive total for a weekday afternoon that almost certainly undercounts how many people actually saw it.

The Nielsen company said Wednesday that 16.5 million people watched the game on ESPN, with 5.1 million more seeing it on the Spanish-language Univision network. In addition, nearly 1.7 million people watched an online stream of the event, Nielsen said.

The record U.S. television audience for soccer is the 24.7 million who saw the United States play Portugal on June 24, which tied the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands.

The Portugal game took place on a weekend, however, when there were more people with free time available to watch. The U.S.-Belgium game started at 4 p.m. on the East Coast, earlier in other time zones, during a working day.

Nielsen does not measure viewership in bars, offices or other public places. In 2010, ESPN estimated that the stated audience size for weekday World Cup games would increase by 23 percent if public viewing were taken into account.

Still, Tuesday's knockout game exceeded the average viewership for the most recent World Series and NBA Finals, events that took place during prime-time when more people were home to watch.

The just-concluded NBA Finals where the San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat averaged 15.5 million viewers, with 18 million watching the final game. Last fall's World Series averaged 14.9 million viewers, with 19.2 million watching the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the last game.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said on Wednesday that everyone connected with the soccer team is excited to see how the sport is reaching a U.S. audience. He could see it coming, given the popularity of the game among young people and the large crowds that turned out for the team's sendoff games before the World Cup.

"Soccer is breaking through and gets its deserved recognition without taking anything away from the other big American sports," Klinsmann said.

He said it's important for people to identify with the way Americans played the game.

"The energy and the commitment and the tempo and the aggressiveness that we played with kind of made people proud at home and surprised a lot of people outside of the United States, maybe in Brazil or in Europe," he said.

The highest overall ratings for the U.S.-Belgium game came in New York, Nielsen said.

ESPN said that overall viewership for the World Cup is up 44 percent over 2010.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

Only to a homosexual man.

You keep saying things like that, like you're not the kind of guy who wouldn't perform an act of fellatio on a homeless person for a half box of rain soaked stale triscuits.



Dextox
If you hate baseball, you hate America. You're hating America on it's damn birthday, commie.

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

You keep saying things like that, like you're not the kind of guy who wouldn't perform an act of fellatio on a homeless person for a half box of rain soaked stale triscuits.

Wow. Bravo!

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

If there is one thing I have learned watching the World Cup, its that the vast majority of the players are not that good at scoring the ball. They can manipulate it, pass it, run with it, but when it comes time to shoot the ball they are not very good.

Sure a few get lucky here and there, but I would expect more consistency from the players. I cannot believe how horrible and off target some of their "shots" are. I used to think scoring would go up if some rules were changed, but now I realize the problem is not the rules, its the players.

Reminder, this guy didn't make the Cup

[Kansas City Kid]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

You keep saying things like that, like I'm not the kind of guy who performed an act of fellatio on a homeless person for a half box of rain soaked stale triscuits.

Well, you do speak from experience.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

Well, you do speak from experience.

I am pretty experienced at recognizing a first rate one who sucks the penis when I see one and I'm guessing you've had more balls slap your chin than Johnny Bench's old mit.

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

Only to a homosexual man.

oooh you're so witty.

[Titty Meat]

I will say Fifa 98 is one of the best video games ever

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Dextox
If you hate baseball, you hate America. You're hating America on it's damn birthday, commie.

To be fair, it's hard to like Baseball when your hometown team is the Padres.

[Kansas City Kid]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I am pretty experienced at recognizing a first rate one who sucks the penis.

When you look in the mirror?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I am pretty experienced at recognizing a first rate one who sucks the penis when I see one and I'm guessing you've had more balls slap your chin than Johnny Bench's old mit.

Your in a soccer thread. The old baseball player reference is not understood.

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

When you look in the mirror?

Ooooh sick burn....

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

You keep saying things like that, like you're not the kind of guy who wouldn't perform an act of fellatio on a homeless person for a half box of rain soaked stale triscuits.



Dextox
If you hate baseball, you hate America. You're hating America on it's damn birthday, commie.

KC Kid vacations at Coney Island.

[Kansas City Kid]

Look at all the gay soccer fans so pissed off....lisping their retorts.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Kansas City Kid

Look at all the gay soccer fans so pissed off....lisping their retorts.

Please tell us you had the common decency to give your homeless buddy a reacharound.

[Xanathol]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I don't even like soccer but it's the most popular sport in the ****ing world.

You just can't hate on it.

Of course it is - it takes slightly more athletic ability than golf or running. There is no need for the strength & explosiveness of football or the skill and quick twitch of baseball. Even the most desolate country of weak, uncoordinated metrosexuals can field a team. It is the same reason it is the 'participation trophy sport' of today's youth; when your kid sucks at football, baseball, and every other real sport, there's always soccer.