Record TV Viewership Surge in Women’s World Cup Group Stage Matches

According to recently released figures on Thursday, the match between the United States Women’s National Team and the Netherlands resulted in a 1-1 draw and was watched by nearly 6.43 million viewers, making it the most-watched group stage match in the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in terms of English language broadcasts. The game was broadcast on Fox Sports.

Key Points:

• Fox Sports reported that approximately 6.43 million viewers tuned in to watch the United States Women’s National Team on both Fox and Fox Sports Digital.
• The opening match of the group stage, where the American women’s team secured a 3-0 victory against Vietnam, attracted more than 6.26 million viewers, including viewership from both English and Spanish language television broadcasts.

The majority of viewers who witnessed the impressive victory against Vietnam did so in English (5.3 million), making it the third most-watched English-language group stage match in the history of the American Women’s World Cup team, following their 3-0 defeat against Chile in 2019 (the most-watched English-language broadcast in a Women’s World Cup group stage match). It is worth noting that both of the American team’s first two group stage matches were broadcast during prime time in the United States, airing at 9 PM. This scheduling might have contributed to the higher viewer numbers. However, for the upcoming match against Portugal, which will be held on Tuesday, it has been scheduled at 3 AM Eastern Time, potentially affecting viewer turnout.

What to Expect: If the favored American Women’s Team secures a victory against Portugal and claims their third consecutive Women’s World Cup title, they will advance to the knockout stage. In the event of a draw, the United States will still progress, but if they lose, their advancement will depend on a combination of results, including the goal difference between the United States and the Netherlands, who currently have a +3 goal difference compared to the Netherlands’ +1.

Notable Performances: During the match, American captain Lindsey Horan scored an impressive header from a corner kick, which was celebrated with great enthusiasm by the team and fans. However, a goal by forward Alex Morgan was disallowed due to an offside call.

Looking Ahead: The American Women’s Team expressed satisfaction with their performance, especially in the second half, after making necessary adjustments during the halftime break. They acknowledged the Dutch team as formidable opponents and praised their display during the match. Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar also commended her team’s efforts and felt content with the result, securing vital three points to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage alive.

In the subsequent game on Thursday, Portugal secured a 2-0 victory against Vietnam, leaving the Vietnamese team eliminated after two consecutive defeats. With back-to-back defending champions, the United States, set to face Portugal on August 1st, and the Netherlands squaring off against Vietnam on the same day, the group stage matches will conclude. Following this, the tournament will move on to the knockout stage, with the top 16 teams competing for the coveted Women’s World Cup title.