The numbers are in and the viewership for the 2010 FIFA World Cup final will stun you.
↵↵↵Sunday’s World Cup final, televised by ABC and Univisión, was the most watched soccer match in US television history. A total of 24.3 million viewers (15.5 million on ABC and 8.8 million on Univisión) tuned in to watch Spain defeat Holland to capture their first ever World Cup.
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For those counting at home... More people watched the World Cup final than watched the deciding game of the World Series or Stanley Cup Final. It was comparable to the 28 million who watched game 7 of the NBA finals. The Final was the most watched soccer match in US history and overall the ratings were up 41% compared to the last World Cup in Germany.
↵I think we can officially say that the old cliche that Americans don't care about soccer is no longer true. Now, interest has to grow beyond simply watching the World Cup every four years for us to really say soccer has ensconced itself among the major sports in the US, but it can no longer be ignored.
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