UPDATE, SUNDAY PM: Saturday’s Germany-Ghana match on ESPN scored a 3.4 rating with 5.735M viewers. That’s based on fast nationals and the numbers tie the score for 2006′s Germany-Italy semi-final in Germany as the highest-rated non-U.S. World Cup match ever on ESPN and ESPN2. ESPN networks are averaging a 2.3 U.S. rating and 3.742M viewers through last night. The increases are 21% and 26%, respectively, at the same point 4 yrs ago. Team USA has just taken the field against Portugal tonight, and ESPN is likely looking at big ratings for this one.
PREVIOUS, SUNDAY AM: Two of the big World Cup meet-ups on Saturday were nailbiters as superstar Lionel Messi scored the only goal of the Argentina v Iran game in additional time, and later, Germany’s Miroslav Klose tied the score with Ghana in the 70th minute of play, ending the game in a 2-2 draw. In Argentina, the home team match peaked with a 39 share on terrestrial TV, adding in cable, it had a 60 share. For the later match, an average of 24.54M German viewers tuned in to ARD for the second highest rating of the tournament there (Germany’s opener against Portugal was seen by 26.36M). From 9 PM local time on Saturday night, ARD had a 76.3 share. In the UK, BBC One‘s coverage of Germany v Ghana was last night’s most watched primetime program with an average 5.81M viewers and a 33.6 share.
Team USA faces off with Portugal tonight at 6 PM Eastern. The Americans’ first match of the Cup, a 2-1 win over Ghana, gave ESPN a 7.0 overnight rating, the highest ever for a men’s World Cup match on ESPN or ESPN2. Ratings for tonight’s match-up are expected to outperform that game. Some Portugal players have been sidelined, and Cristiano Ronaldo is nursing a knee injury. The team lost its first match to Germany in a 4-0 defeat. Other matches today are Belgium v Russia and Korea v Algeria.
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| Update: World Cup: Germany v Ghana Scores ESPN’s Best Rating For Non-U.S. Match Since 2006 Semis; More |
