World Cup TV ratings for United States set record, should lead to youth investment

By Chris Hummer

The record ratings ESPN and Univision are seeing for the World Cup in 2010 should provide a tremendous boost for youth player development here. But will the executives make the connection? With the ratings for team USA this time around matching World Series ratings, imagine what they would be with team USA in the semifinals and finals? 

The US vs Ghana World Cup match set an American ratings record for ESPN and Univision. The match was seen by 14.9 million on ABC — an American record for the tournament — and an additional 4.5 million on Univision. The combined 19.4 million viewers on a Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. Eastern matched the same number that Fox averaged over six prime-time World Series baseball games for last year.

According to the New York Times article linked below, executives of both companies said that the tournament’s performance had exceeded their expectations.

“This is a good, sound financial proposition for us,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s executive vice president for content. “We have the 2014 rights in Brazil, at a favorable time that gives us a favorable financial opportunity.” Rio de Janeiro’s time zone is one hour later than New York’s, pushing games to prime time and ad rates higher.

Cesar Conde, the president of Univision Networks, said, “We’re bringing in more revenue than in any previous World Cup.”

This is all great news for soccer in America, as it should show advertisers and sponsors at all levels that supporting soccer in America can compare to their support of other sports in this country.

With that kind of money flying around, can it be long before we see more corporate and TV money involved at the youth level? It shouldn\'t be long, for the sooner America starts producing stars of its own that can take the US team all the way in the quadrennial event, the sooner American industry will see Super Bowl-like ratings multiplying in their heads as the chances of the USA making a World Cup Final increase with every dollar they spend on new fields, coaching education, and growing professional soccer in America.

[+ See US v Ghana TV Ratings Story on NewYorkTimes.com]