2010 World Cup Thread

[Magnetic Curses]

but let me tell you, if it's one thing that turns people onto your sport, it's nothing happening for 90+ minutes. that's sure to attract the non-niche crowd. if it keeps up this blistering pace, people are gonna be cartwheeling in the streets of medicine hat by july!

 

hey, one guy hit the post

 

he should be crowned the new pele

[Banedon]

Is Doc Emerick available for World Cup announcing duties?

[Jon]

These are seemingly the most accurate updated numbers I could find:

 

poder360.com[/url]"]Soccer appeal is rising in the U.S., at least according to early TV audience ratings on Univision and the Disney channels ABC and ESPN. The first five matches averaged about 8.1 million total viewers in English and Spanish, compared to 4.5 million in 2006. Friday's opening game between Mexico and South Africa attracted about 5.4 million viewers on Univision and 2.9 million on ESPN. It was Univision's second-most watched Cup game since 1994, the network said. Nearly 13 million people watched the U.S. and England tie 1-1 Sat. on ABC, and 3.8 million watched on Univision, rivaling the 16.4 million average viewers for the ongoing National Basketball Association finals between L.A. and Boston.

So 16.8 million watched Saturday's match between the US and England.

[Magnetic Curses]

These are seemingly the most accurate updated numbers I could find:

 

poder360.com[/url]"]Soccer appeal is rising in the U.S., at least according to early TV audience ratings on Univision and the Disney channels ABC and ESPN. The first five matches averaged about 8.1 million total viewers in English and Spanish, compared to 4.5 million in 2006. Friday's opening game between Mexico and South Africa attracted about 5.4 million viewers on Univision and 2.9 million on ESPN. It was Univision's second-most watched Cup game since 1994, the network said. Nearly 13 million people watched the U.S. and England tie 1-1 Sat. on ABC, and 3.8 million watched on Univision, rivaling the 16.4 million average viewers for the ongoing National Basketball Association finals between L.A. and Boston.

So 16.8 million watched Saturday's match between the US and England.

 

how many viewers did the US-England game attract in 2006?

[Magnetic Curses]

and how many people turned the game off after 20 minutes saying "jeez, every 4 years i forget how boring this [expletive] is"?

[CubInOK]

how many viewers did the US-England game attract in 2006?

Exactly 0.

[Guest]

and how many people turned the game off after 20 minutes saying "jeez, every 4 years i forget how boring this [expletive] is"?

I didn't last much past the first ten minutes, to be honest.

 

It's not just that the scoring is low. It's that the two teams combined are averaging something like ten shots on goal per game.

[Magnetic Curses]

how many viewers did the US-England game attract in 2006?

Exactly 0.

 

yeah, the point was that you can't make a comparison between the opening game of 2006 and the opening game of 2010.

[TruffleShuffle]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/poolboybob/36118_10100355174803734_9344650_709.jpg

[wvcbxl]

raise your [expletive] hand if you have a scarf in your room

 

I have three.

But I guess I don't count, being a foreigner.

[imb]

i want to see some [expletive] pantsuits

[Jon]

US vs. Italy in 2006, which was also played on a Saturday, drew lower ratings than US vs. England this past weekend. I just can't find by how much.

 

I haven't seen online viewership counted anywhere yet, both for ESPN3 and Univision.com.

[Magnetic Curses]

that's pretty fantastic

[USSoccer]

The best hockey league in the world barely outdraws a soccer league that isn't in the Top 5. That was also a championship game against America's hat, as opposed to a group game against a country across the pond. If the US plays Mexico in the World Cup final, I can assure you the ratings will be incredible.

 

Wait, are you the one that was stuck on that asinine notion that MLS game attendance figures and NHL game attendance figures are reasonable comparisons?

 

Also, that country across the pond was probably the absolute best matchup the US could have had in terms of bringing in interest in the states.

 

That was me, and 4 years ago or whatever it was not a great argument.

 

This season, though, the attendance figures are about equal, with MLS at 16,320 and the NHL around 16,900

 

Source: http://www.mls-daily.com/2010/04/mls-attendance-moves-past-nba-nhl.html

 

Not that it means MLS is more popular, but the attendance figures are more even now than they were.

[Magnetic Curses]

US vs. Italy in 2006, which was also played on a Saturday, drew lower ratings than US vs. England this past weekend. I just can't find by how much.

 

I haven't seen online viewership counted anywhere yet, both for ESPN3 and Univision.com.

 

italy isn't the casual draw that england is.

[ConstableRabbit]

and how many people turned the game off after 20 minutes saying "jeez, every 4 years i forget how boring this [expletive] is"?

I didn't last much past the first ten minutes, to be honest.

 

It's not just that the scoring is low. It's that the two teams combined are averaging something like ten shots on goal per game.

I think atmosphere matters. I was at a rowdy soccer bar with some friends who hadn't been into soccer before. Once we started yelling and chanting with the other fans they were sold.

 

I think it'd be hard for a new fan to get into the sport by just watching at home -- you miss a lot of the intricacies of the game and the announcers don't highlight the small things the way they do in baseball.

[Magnetic Curses]

The best hockey league in the world barely outdraws a soccer league that isn't in the Top 5. That was also a championship game against America's hat, as opposed to a group game against a country across the pond. If the US plays Mexico in the World Cup final, I can assure you the ratings will be incredible.

 

Wait, are you the one that was stuck on that asinine notion that MLS game attendance figures and NHL game attendance figures are reasonable comparisons?

 

Also, that country across the pond was probably the absolute best matchup the US could have had in terms of bringing in interest in the states.

 

That was me, and 4 years ago or whatever it was not a great argument.

 

This season, though, the attendance figures are about equal, with MLS at 16,320 and the NHL around 16,900

 

Source: http://www.mls-daily.com/2010/04/mls-attendance-moves-past-nba-nhl.html

 

Not that it means MLS is more popular, but the attendance figures are more even now than they were.

 

stop the average schmo on the street and ask him who won the mls cup and who won the stanley cup and see who wins.

 

the only reason i know is that i was up late on a meth binge watching reruns of things on some sports channel.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Stannis

[ConstableRabbit]

The best hockey league in the world barely outdraws a soccer league that isn't in the Top 5. That was also a championship game against America's hat, as opposed to a group game against a country across the pond. If the US plays Mexico in the World Cup final, I can assure you the ratings will be incredible.

 

Wait, are you the one that was stuck on that asinine notion that MLS game attendance figures and NHL game attendance figures are reasonable comparisons?

 

Also, that country across the pond was probably the absolute best matchup the US could have had in terms of bringing in interest in the states.

 

That was me, and 4 years ago or whatever it was not a great argument.

 

This season, though, the attendance figures are about equal, with MLS at 16,320 and the NHL around 16,900

 

Source: http://www.mls-daily.com/2010/04/mls-attendance-moves-past-nba-nhl.html

 

Not that it means MLS is more popular, but the attendance figures are more even now than they were.

Wow, I had no idea attendance was that good.

[USSoccer]

US vs. Italy in 2006, which was also played on a Saturday, drew lower ratings than US vs. England this past weekend. I just can't find by how much.

 

I haven't seen online viewership counted anywhere yet, both for ESPN3 and Univision.com.

 

It also doesn't account for the viewing parties that happened last weekend, and viewership in bars and such.

 

In SF, 15,000 attended a viewing party at PacBell or AT&T park or whatever it's called.

 

Whether or not the interest is sustained beyond US/ENG if scoring stays low is a fair question, but it's been a big success for ABC/ESPN.

[Magnetic Curses]

and how many people turned the game off after 20 minutes saying "jeez, every 4 years i forget how boring this [expletive] is"?

I didn't last much past the first ten minutes, to be honest.

 

It's not just that the scoring is low. It's that the two teams combined are averaging something like ten shots on goal per game.

I think atmosphere matters. I was at a rowdy soccer bar with some friends who hadn't been into soccer before. Once we started yelling and chanting with the other fans they were sold.

 

I think it'd be hard for a new fan to get into the sport by just watching at home -- you miss a lot of the intricacies of the game and the announcers don't highlight the small things the way they do in baseball.

 

it's mostly silence because mostly nothing is happening.

 

ah, the nuance of nothing, gotta love it.

[Banedon]

it's mostly silence because mostly nothing is happening.

 

ah, the nuance of nothing, gotta love it.

 

You only hear "nothing" because the Vuvuzelas have deafened you.

[ConstableRabbit]

Yeah, I can't believe the Cubs and Sox didn't even have one hit combined through 6 innings. BOR-ING.

[Banedon]

Yeah, I can't believe the Cubs and Sox didn't even have one hit combined through 6 innings. BOR-ING.

 

That was one game. Compared to 3 of 26 teams scoring more than one goal in 13 games.

[USSoccer]

The best hockey league in the world barely outdraws a soccer league that isn't in the Top 5. That was also a championship game against America's hat, as opposed to a group game against a country across the pond. If the US plays Mexico in the World Cup final, I can assure you the ratings will be incredible.

 

Wait, are you the one that was stuck on that asinine notion that MLS game attendance figures and NHL game attendance figures are reasonable comparisons?

 

Also, that country across the pond was probably the absolute best matchup the US could have had in terms of bringing in interest in the states.

 

That was me, and 4 years ago or whatever it was not a great argument.

 

This season, though, the attendance figures are about equal, with MLS at 16,320 and the NHL around 16,900

 

Source: http://www.mls-daily.com/2010/04/mls-attendance-moves-past-nba-nhl.html

 

Not that it means MLS is more popular, but the attendance figures are more even now than they were.

 

stop the average schmo on the street and ask him who won the mls cup and who won the stanley cup and see who wins.

 

the only reason i know is that i was up late on a meth binge watching reruns of things on some sports channel.

 

No doubt. It's not more popular across the board.

[ConstableRabbit]

Yeah, I can't believe the Cubs and Sox didn't even have one hit combined through 6 innings. BOR-ING.

 

That was one game. Compared to 3 of 26 teams scoring more than one goal in 13 games.

True, but it was arguably the most exciting game of the year.