The United States beat Mexico 2-0 last Wednesday in a 2010 World Cup qualification match. This was our home game in the six team, round robin tournament that will select four nations from the North American and Caribbean region for the 32 team fnals in South Africa next year. The U.S. maintained pressure on Mexico all night and dominated in possession.
But the big news regarding the game was that it dominated the airwaves. The game was broadcast live on both ESPN2 on cable and in Spanish on the Univision network that comprises both cable and over-the-air viewers. According to Neilsen both networks set viewership records. It was the most watch World Cup qualifier that ESPN had broadcast, with a viewership of 1.2 million. Univision did even better with 10.7 million viewers nationwide. In the Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Phoenix and Dallas markets it was the number one show among all age groups beating out new eposides of American Idol, Lost, CSI New York and Law & Order.
I can testify that I watched the game in Molly Mallone’s in Louisville, KY and there were about 120 rabid football fans in the house.
