MLS’s opening weekend viewership dropped 7% compared to last season with last weekend’s five nationally broadcast games collectively averaging just 296,600 viewers, down from 318,250 for four national broadcasts to open the 2018 season.

Univision saw the largest drop in viewership, with their first MLS broadcast of 2019 down over 24% from 2018. With the increase of four to five nationally-televised games, total viewership for the opening weekend saw a 16.5% increase helped by the addition of another broadcast on ESPN Sunday night.

A disappointing SheBelieves Cup for the United States Women’s National Team on the field was still a ratings success for FOX with Saturday’s match against England drawing 758,000 viewers. The United States’ three matches in the tournament averaged 439,667 viewers on FOX and FS1, up 28% from 343,333 for the 2018 edition of the tournament that saw broadcasts split between ESPN2 and FS1.

NBCSN’s Saturday morning kickoff between Manchester United and Southampton was the most-watched Saturday Premier League match on NBCSN in 12 months, averaging 591,000 viewers. Sunday’s Merseyside Derby drew 992,000 viewers to NBCSN and Telemundo, making it the most-watched Premier League match on cable this season that does not feature a club from Manchester.

Rank Date Competition Teams TV1 Total
1 3/2 Liga MX Clausura Chivas / Monterrey Univision: 1051000 1,051,000
2 3/3 Premier League Everton / Liverpool NBCSN: 730000 / Telemundo: 262000 992,000
3 3/2 SheBelieves Cup USWNT / England FOX: 758000 758,000
4 3/2 Premier League Man Utd / Southampton NBCSN: 591000 / Unvso: 84000 675,000
5 3/3 Liga MX Clausura Toluca / Veracruz Univision: 537000 537,000
6 3/2 Premier League West Ham / Newcastle NBCSN: 419000 / Unvso: 80000 499,000
7 3/3 Premier League Fulham / Chelsea NBCSN: 447000 / Unvso: 47000 494,000
8 3/2 Premier League Spurs / Arsenal NBCSN: 417000 / Unvso: 63000 480,000
9 3/1 Liga MX Clausura Morelia / Club América UDN: 453000 453,000
10 3/3 MLS DC United / Atlanta United ESPN: 394000 394,000
11 3/3 MLS Los Angeles FC / Sporting KC ESPN: 361000 361,000
12 3/2 MLS Orlando City SC / New York City FC Univision: 355000 355,000
13 2/27 Premier League Chelsea / Spurs NBCSN: 281000 / Unvso: 34000 315,000
14 2/27 SheBelieves Cup USWNT / Japan FS1: 283000 283,000
15 3/2 Liga MX Clausura Cruz Azul / Necaxa UDN: 281000 281,000
16 3/3 Liga MX Clausura Lobos / Pumas UDN: 257000 257,000
17 3/2 La Liga Real Madrid / Barcelona beIN: 236000 236,000
18 3/2 MLS Seattle Sounders / FC Cincinnati FS1: 199000 199,000
19 3/2 MLS Los Angeles Galaxy / Chicago Fire FS1: 174000 174,000
20 2/28 CCL RO16 Toluca / Sporting KC UDN: 166000 166,000
21 3/3 Premier League Watford / Leicester City NBCSN: 164000 164,000
22 3/4 Liga MX Clausura Puebla / Querétaro UDN: 147000 147,000
23 2/26 Premier League Newcastle / Burnley NBCSN: 142000 142,000
24 2/28 CCL RO16 Atlanta United / Herediano UDN: 110000 110,000
25 3/1 Bundesliga Augsburg / Dortmund UDN: 101000 101,000
26 3/2 Liga MX Clausura León / Santos UDN: 38000 38,000
27 3/3 Bundesliga Stuttgart / Hannover UDN: 25000 25,000
28 3/1 Liga MX Femenil Cruz Azul / Lobos UDN: 17000 17,000
29 3/2 Bundesliga Schalke / Düsseldorf UDN: 14000 14,000

SEE MORE: Access our archives of US TV ratings for soccer.

HT ShowBuzz Daily