The FIFA World Cup set viewership records in the U.S. this summer, but the Twin Cities lagged behind top markets.
Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina in Sunday’s final in New Jersey reached a total of nearly 39 million viewers on FOX, making it the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in U.S. history. Telemundo set its own Spanish-language record in the country (24 million), and matches kicking off in the afternoon and in primetime certainly boosted the unprecedented attention.
Fox Sports shared a graphic Wednesday of the top 15 local markets based on Nielsen Media Research data over the tournament’s five weeks. Kansas City checked in at No. 1, followed by Boston and Austin, Texas, but Minneapolis-St. Paul did not make the list.
A Fox Sports spokesperson responded to a question from the Pioneer Press, saying Minnesota’s top market, which is the 16th largest in the U.S., barely made the next 15, checking in at 30th overall.
Kansas City led the way with a 4.89 rating, while Minneapolis-St. Paul was roughly half that at 2.58.
Sports media reporter Richard Deitsch points out these numbers are not total viewership in each city, “But households with a device that watched the program and a percentage of TVs tuned into a specific program in that market at that time.”
Minnesota United, the local MLS club which has 14,000 season-ticket holders and draws regular sellouts at 19,600-seat Allianz Field in St. Paul, hosted watch parties at Peavy Plaza in downtown Minneapolis throughout the World Cup.
A Loons spokesman told the Pioneer Press the club tallied roughly 30,000 visitors at those events, with 11,000 new entries of potential fans into its database and more than $20,000 in merchandise sales.
In 2018, Minnesota passed on bidding to host World Cup matches at U.S. Bank Stadium because of the high costs FIFA placed on host cities and the state’s lack of a funding model to help pay for it.
Minnesota Sports and Events, the organization that now leads hosting efforts, is exploring the chance to bring women’s World Cup matches to Minneapolis in 2031, but the same lack of funding model might keep the state from hosting for that event, too.
Source: TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
