Although the U.S. unfortunately did not triumph over Japan in Monday's Women's World Cup finale, television ratings for the game soared. According to a Miami Herald article by Michelle Kaufman, "ESPN's coverage of the Women's World Cup final drew in an overnight rating of 8.6, making it the second-most watched women's soccer match in history."
Perhaps even more telling is the fact that the televised event brought in higher ratings than both this year's baseball All-Star Game (which scored a rating of 7.9) and the British Open (which drew a 2.6), reports Kaufman. From this, some infer that the sport of soccer has become significantly more mainstream than it's been in recent years. However, it begs the question: Are Americans fond of the sport in general or just this particular team?
Kaufman asserts that America will undoubtedly shower a successful team with love and affection. Indeed, hand out a couple hundred promotional soccer clappers, and you're sure to have a roaring crowd. But she also poses a valid question: "...[W]ill those same fans show up at Florida Atlantic University's soccer stadium when MagicJack plays Sky Blue FC on July 27 and the Boston Breakers on July 30?" In a nutshell, it's unknown whether this particular game's rating success is due to the sport's growing popularity or a specific team's success.
That sentiment is echoed in Lauren Shain-Raque's article on Sports.Yahoo.com. According to Shain-Raque, "Though many of the fans and supporters of the U.S. team tuned in to watch the final game, it would have been nice to see each of these teams supported throughout the games in their entirety rather than just at the finish line." Despite speculation, we think the future for soccer in America is bright. Viewership for every soccer game is not going to break records, but the excitement surrounding the sport, coupled with strategically placed soccer promotions, is sure to help get more Americans on board.
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