Women's World Cup tv ratings

We'll take this in two parts: a) every other team in the WWC, and b) the US team.

a) the teams outside the US don't have a entertainment factor that the US team has. When you look at the Men's World Cup, yes, the US matches were the highest rated, but even casual viewers were interested in watching Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Germany, the teams people most associate with being successful. The WWC doesn't have that outside appeal - outside of Marta, name one other Women's player outside the US off the top of your head? Add in that most group stage matches are during the week at 9am and noon, and you're not going to see people take time off work or take longer lunches to watch a non-US WNT match. I suspect this will be the same through all rounds.

b) the US WNT should get the highest rated matches, no surprise. However, two of their group stage matches and their semifinal (assuming they get there) will be during the week - see above. This can be made up on the weekends though - their group game vs. Colombia on Sat. July 2nd at noon, their quarterfinals match would be the following Sunday (10th), and the final is July 17th around noon as well. If the group stage match and quarterfinals build a core audience, and the US reaches the final, you'll potentially get really good numbers for the final. Whether it reaches 1999 levels remains to be seen - at this point the buzz isn't there, but the tournament is 3 weeks, PLENTY of time to get casual viewers interested and draw in for the final.

In short, ESPN is showing the WWC for 2 reasons - 1) to stay in good terms with FIFA so they can continue to bid on the World Cup, which is obviously a huge event for the network (ESPN also shows FIFA U-17 and U-20 world Cups as well) and 2) piggybacking off 1, ESPN needs more content in the summer months as NFL, NBA and college sports are out of season, so they pick up more soccer programming. See not only the FIFA tournaments this summer, but also the World Football Challenge of INt'l friendlies. 3) They of course know what happened in 1999, and I'm sure are praying the US make the final. If they don't, I wouldn't expect great ratings.

 

Why did you not include ratings for the two WWC finals since 1999? Maybe because they were nowhere near the 99 numbers and it ruins your argument?
The 1999 WWC was on US soil and included a number of female players that had become household names. It was a rather perfect storm for women's soccer that, very much to the detriment of the game, led many within USSF and the national team program to believe that WUSA would be equally huge. It has not happened and likely will not happen anytime soon.
The average American fan could not name one player beyond perhaps Abby Womback or Hope Solo and one of them (Solo) continues to have a bad reputation from the last world cup. Neither of them are stars anywhere near the 99 crew.
I would expect the numbers to be okay if the USA makes the final, but it will otherwise be a blip on the radar of sports in this country, nothing like the fervor the MWC brought last summer.

 

Well for one the 2003 final was played in the middle of football season after we took over the organization of the tournament on four months notice and the 2007 final was played at 7 in the morning. Oh, did you happen to realize the US wasn't in either final, which diluted an already diluted group of viewers. I agree if the US does well and ESPN mentions it every 30 seconds then the ratings may be decent. If not, then they will likely be rather marginal. I'll be watching the whole tournament regardless. The WWC is one of the few events that is simply a lot of fun to follow and isn't spoiled by drab tactics, poor sportsmanship, or big money.

 

What to expect:

Group Stage matches involving the U.S.: 0.5 to 0.8 household rating on ESPN or ESPN2

Group Stage matches NOT involving the U.S.: 0.1 to 0.2 household rating on ESPN or ESPN2

Expect Galavision to draw 0.1 to 0.2 household rating for all Group Stage matches.

 

I strongly agree. I think this is an aspect of the womens' game that is not emphasized enough. Frankly I hope ESPN and the football media (particularly commentators like Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain and Bob Ley) bring this up continually and note the absence of diving, rolling around the ground as if one has been shot at the slightest touch,.... and general honorable mindset and sportsmanship of the women. The mens' game needs to be shamed and called out in comparison in order to embarrass it into making changes for its own pride.

 

The 99 team was billed as America's sweethearts, they were known by name and face, many of them. The publicity behind the Mia Hamm generation when we were clearly the best, was great.

Today, not a peep, even on soccer cirlces, there isn't really that much noise.

WWC will come and go, noticed by few other than soccer diehards. If US doesn't go to the finals, barely a TV blip.

 

The peak for last year's WC final was about 100 million viewers.

 

Seriously, who watches that sh*t? Women's football (and women's sports in general) are awful.

 

Thank you for your intellectual comment. Please come back again after Depor emerges from the second division.

 

Obviously Pyros has never had his lunch handed to him by a female athlete. That always tends to put a chauvinist in his place.

As for that 1999 team, remember that commercial. I WILL HAVE TWO FILLINGS. I still get a kick out of that,

 

Wow, how original, I'm so hurt 2nd division is much better than this "World Cup" anyways.

Pfft hahaha, I'm sure female athletes are superior to me at their sport of choice, it would be pretty sad if they weren't. That you have to say "female athlete>average joe" simply illustrates my point, because they can't even be compared to 2nd or 3rd string male athletes.

 

He's just insecure. If he likes men, well, there's nothing wrong with that. I, for once, think gays should have the same rights as everyone else.

 

I like woman's soccer.

when I grew up there was no such thing as the internet, satellite t.v. was literally a huge dish in your front yard that made it look like you were trying to contact aliens so growing up I had 2 teams, US Men and US Women.

the woman's game is slower etc. but that's a given, it's different and I can appreciate that. There isn't the diving around and begging for a call, that in and of itself is worth a watch.

And Amy Rodriguez... well there's another....

 

I liked the post WWC commercial with Brandi Chastain beating Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury of Minnesota (god that was a long time ago) at chess or checkers or something and cheering. Then KG deadpanned: "what's up with the shirt?"

 

I remember that as well, I think they were playing fussball.