USMNT draws nearly 16 million viewers in Paraguay rout

USMNT draws nearly 16 million viewers in Paraguay rout

The United States men’s national team’s 4-1 defeat of Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday drew an average of 15.986 million English-language viewers in the United States, according to FOX Sports – the highest figure ever recorded for a USMNT FIFA Men’s World Cup match in English-language U.S. television history. Peak viewership during the match reached 18.86 million. Attendance at SoFi Stadium was reported at 70,492.

The figure represents a sharp rise from the team’s previous benchmark. The USMNT’s group-stage opener against Wales at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar averaged approximately 11.7 million viewers in the United States, placing Friday’s total roughly 37 percent higher. The Los Angeles match was also the first World Cup game played by the United States on home soil since 1994, when the country co-hosted the tournament. Folarin Balogun scored twice in the contest, according to the draft material.

For additional scale, Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs averaged just over 16 million viewers around the same period, according to the draft, placing the USMNT broadcast within a comparable range to one of American professional sport’s marquee events.

The USMNT’s next group-stage fixture is scheduled against Australia at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, 20 June, with kickoff at 3 p.m. ET.