By: Paul Kennedy
Despite losing the rights to all the FIFA properties, including the World Cup, to Telemundo, Univision Deportes remains the dominant network for soccer. It 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.
Mexico’s Liga MX remains the most popular league on U.S. television by a wide margin. The Cruz Azul-Club America match to decide the Torneo Apertura final drew 2.5 viewers, making it the most-watched soccer match on U.S. television since the World Cup ended in July. The first leg of the series averaged 2.3 million viewers.
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. Univision Deportes has already aired nine of the top 10 all-time most-watched group stage matches,
In addition to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League and Liga MX, Univision Deportes aired MLS and the Bundesliga as well as the Concacaf Champions League and new UEFA Nations League that debuted this fall.
Source: Soccer America