U.S. World Cup Success Boosts TV Everywhere Viewing

Media

Published: June 28, 2014 9:50 am

Last Updated: April 28, 2020 9:12 am

Nearly 25 million viewers in the United States watched last Sunday’s World Cup match between the U.S. men’s national team and the Portuguese national team. But how many would watch the U.S. play Germany on a Thursday during working hours?

The answer to that question was a lot — more than 14 million on ESPN and Univision combined. Walt Disney Co.’s (NYSE: DIS) ESPN and ESPN 2 nabbed 10.8 million viewers and Univision reported 3.4 million. The Thursday match trailed only last Sunday’s match (nearly 25 million viewers combined) and the opening U.S. match against Ghana (about 18.2 million viewers).

More interesting, perhaps, were the number of live Internet streams of Thursday’s match. ESPN reported that it served 1.7 million streams on its WatchESPN app, a record for authenticated TV Everywhere streaming. Univision offered free, non-authenticated streaming to an additional 900,000 viewers, a new record for the Spanish-language network. An authenticated stream is one that a viewer pays for as part of a subscription to cable or satellite TV and that is streamed through an app provided by the network.

Authenticated TV Everywhere’s largest ever audience averaged 850,000 per minute for the United States vs. Canada men’s hockey game at the Sochi winter Games in February. The largest audience ever for a non-authenticated sports event watched was this year’s NFL Super Bowl on a free stream from Fox Sports, which has since been put behind the company’s paywall. The game drew an average of 528,000 viewers per minute for each of its English- and Spanish-language broadcasts for a total of 1.56 million simultaneous streams.

The first U.S. World Cup game in the knockout round is set for Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. against Belgium. There are eight matches total between Saturday and Tuesday, and another four on Friday and Saturday of next week. The tournament semifinals are set for Tuesday and Wednesday July 8 and 9, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday, July 13 in Rio de Janeiro.

ALSO READ: Ten Cities Where Foreign Companies Create the Most Jobs

100 Million Americans Are Missing This Crucial Retirement Tool

The thought of burdening your family with a financial disaster is most Americans’ nightmare. However, recent studies show that over 100 million Americans still don’t have proper life insurance in the event they pass away.

Life insurance can bring peace of mind – ensuring your loved ones are safeguarded against unforeseen expenses and debts. With premiums often lower than expected and a variety of plans tailored to different life stages and health conditions, securing a policy is more accessible than ever.

A quick, no-obligation quote can provide valuable insight into what’s available and what might best suit your family’s needs. Life insurance is a simple step you can take today to help secure peace of mind for your loved ones tomorrow.

Click here to learn how to get a quote in just a few minutes.