By: Paul Kennedy
Univision Deportes released soccer viewing figures that gave the Spanish-language networks 53 percent of all soccer viewership on U.S. TV during this year’s fourth quarter.
A big driver in the viewership on Univision, UniMas, Galavision and UDN has been the addition of the UEFA Champions League for which Univision Deportes acquired the Spanish-language rights.
The 60 linear telecasts on the four networks reached 14 million viewers, making it the most-watched group stage in the history of the competition on U.S. television. Univision Deportes has aired nine of the top 10 all-time most-watched group stage matches, led by the broadcast of Liverpool-Paris St. Germain game that delivered 672,000 viewers on Sept. 18.
Sunday’s Cruz Azul-Club America match to decide Liga MX’s Torneo Apertura final drew 2.5 viewers, making it the most-watched soccer match on U.S. television since the 2018 World Cup. The first leg of the series, which aired Thursday, averaged 2.3 million viewers.
In Los Angeles, the Gran Final matches were No. 2 in their time slots behind only Fox’s Thursday Night Football and NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
In addition to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League and Liga MX, Univision Deportes aired MLS and the Bundesliga as well as the new UEFA Nations League this fall.
Source: Soccer America