TV Ratings

Most-watched soccer games for Feb. 25-Mar. 1, 2020

MLS returned last week with some strong numbers across the board. Early Saturday afternoon, a network season-opener record 505,000 viewers tuned in to Univision and TUDN to witness Javier “Chicharito” Hernández’s debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy in Houston. A few hours later on Saturday, Nashville SC made their MLS debut against Atlanta United before a state record-breaking home crowd of 59,069. The match was also broadcast on the FOX network to a television audience of 756,000, the largest audience for an opening round MLS match in at least a decade.

ESPN’s opening weekend MLS doubleheader averaged 387,000 viewers, up 2.5% from opening weekend last season. FS1 also saw an increase, averaging 229,000 viewers for their late Sunday broadcast featuring Portland Timbers and Minnesota United. Both of FOX Sports 1’s opening round MLS broadcasts in 2019 failed to draw more than 200,000 viewers.

Meanwhile, beIN SPORTS’ broadcast of el Clásico averaged a combined 941,418 viewers, up 72% from the first time these two teams met earlier this season, and the highest viewership for the contest since 2017.

The end to Liverpool’s “invincible” bid for the 2019/20 season at the hands of Watford was watched by 606,000 viewers on NBCSN, the third largest audience for a Saturday Premier League match on NBCSN this season. December’s Manchester Derby sits atop this list, having averaged 675,000 viewers on the network.

Rank Date Competition Teams Network Total
1 3/1 La Liga Real Madrid / Barcelona beIN SPORTS: 236418 / beIN Español: 705000 941,418
2 2/29 Liga MX Clausura América / Necaxa Univision: 886000 886,000
3 2/26 UEFA Champions League Real Madrid / Man City TNT: 329000 / UniMás: 499000 828,000
4 2/29 Liga MX Clausura Tigres / Pumas Univision: 794000 794,000
5 2/29 MLS Nashville SC / Atlanta United FOX: 756000 756,000
6 2/29 Premier League Watford / Liverpool NBCSN: 606000 / Universo: 131000 737,000
7 3/1 Premier League Everton / Man Utd NBCSN: 494000 / Telemundo: 163000 657,000
8 3/1 MLS Los Angeles FC / Inter Miami ESPN: 463000 / ESPND: 189000 652,000
9 2/26 CONCACAF Champions League Club América / Comunicaciones TUDN: 580000 580,000
10 2/29 Premier League Bournemouth / Chelsea NBCSN: 502000 / Universo: 47000 549,000
11 2/25 UEFA Champions League Napoli / Barcelona TUDN: 528000 528,000
12 2/29 MLS Houston Dynamo / Los Angeles Galaxy Univision: 505000 505,000
13 2/27 CONCACAF Champions League Los Angeles FC / León TUDN: 444000 444,000
14 2/26 CONCACAF Champions League Tigres / Alianza TUDN: 382000 382,000
15 2/28 Liga MX Clausura Morelia / Cruz Azul TUDN: 341000 341,000
16 2/25 UEFA Champions League Chelsea / Bayern TNT: 296000 / Galavision: 31000 327,000
17 3/1 MLS Seattle Sounders / Chicago Fire ESPN: 311000 311,000
18 2/25 CONCACAF Champions League Cruz Azul / Portmore United TUDN: 298000 298,000
19 3/1 MLS Portland Timbers / Minnesota United FS1: 229000 229,000
20 2/29 Liga MX Clausura Pachuca / Querétaro TUDN: 215000 215,000
21 2/28 Liga MX Clausura Toluca / Monterrey TUDN: 192000 192,000
22 2/27 UEFA Europa League RO32 Man Utd / Club Brugge UniMás: 148000 148,000
23 2/25 CONCACAF Champions League Altanta United / Motagua TUDN: 136000 136,000
24 2/27 UEFA Europa League RO32 Arsenal / Olympiakos TUDN: 103000 103,000
25 2/27 UEFA Europa League RO32 Espanyol / Wolves UniMás: 86000 86,000
26 3/1 La Liga Espanyol / Atlético Madrid beIN SPORTS: 5675 / beIN Español: 79598 85,273
27 2/29 Bundesliga Hoffenheim / Bayern TUDN: 71000 71,000
28 2/26 CONCACAF Champions League New York City FC / San Carlos TUDN: 65000 65,000
29 2/25 CONCACAF U-20 Championship (W) Nicaragua U20 / Mexico U20 TUDN: 58000 58,000
30 2/26 UEFA Champions League Lyonnais / Juventus Galavision: 58000 58,000
31 2/29 La Liga Granada / Celta Vigo beIN SPORTS: 7721 / beIN Español: 49823 57,544
32 2/27 CONCACAF U-20 Championship (W) Mexico U20 / Guyana U20 TUDN: 54000 54,000
33 2/27 UEFA Europa League RO32 Porto / Leverkusen TUDN: 42000 42,000
34 2/29 Ligue 1 PSG / Dijon beIN SPORTS: 21185 / beIN Español: 14952 36,137
35 2/29 La Liga Leganes / Alavés beIN SPORTS: 7557 / beIN Español: 26074 33,631
36 2/29 La Liga Valencia / Real Betis beIN Español: 32241 32,241
37 2/27 Copa Sudamericana Fortalez / Independiente beIN SPORTS: 7733 / beIN Español: 19951 27,684
38 2/27 UEFA Europa Leauge RO32 Inter MIlan / Ludogorets Galavision: 26000 26,000
39 2/28 La Liga Real Sociedad / Valladolid beIN SPORTS: 3230 / beIN Español: 22649 25,879
40 3/1 La Liga Sevilla / Osasuna beIN Español: 25371 25,371
41 3/1 La Liga Athletic Bilbao / Villarreal beIN SPORTS: 3696 / beIN Español: 21439 25,135
42 2/28 Liga MX Femenil Cruz Azul / Necaxa TUDN: 24000 24,000
43 2/26 Recopa Sudamericana Flamengo / Independiente del Valle beIN Español: 23603 23,603
44 2/26 UEFA Europa League RO32 Sporting Braga / Rangers TUDN: 23000 23,000
45 2/28 UEFA Europea League RO32 Salzburg / Frankfurt TUDN: 21000 21,000
46 3/1 Bundesliga Union Berlin / Wolfsburg TUDN: 21000 21,000
47 3/1 Turkish Super League Galatasaray / Genclerbirligi beIN SPORTS: 20660 20,660
48 2/29 Bundesliga Köln / Schalke TUDN: 19000 19,000
49 2/27 UEFA Europa League RO32 Gent / Roma Galavision: 17000 17,000
50 2/26 Copa Libertadores Cerro Porteno / Barcelona SC beIN SPORTS: 2736 / beIN Español: 11374 14,110
51 2/25 Copa Libertadores Atletico Tucuman / Independiente Medellin beIN SPORTS: 3855 / beIN Español: 9780 13,635
52 2/25 Copa Sudamericana Sport Huancayo / Argentinos Juniors beIN SPORTS: 2094 / beIN Español: 8592 10,686
53 2/27 Copa Libertadores Guarani / Palestino beIN SPORTS: 3898 / beIN Español: 5502 9,400
54 2/28 Ligue 1 Nimes / Marseille beIN SPORTS: 3580 / beIN Español: 3771 7,351
55 2/26 Copa Sudamericana river Plate / Deportivo Cali beIN Español: 6573 6,573
56 3/1 Ligue 1 Lyonnais / Saint Etienne beIN SPORTS: 6408 6,408
57 2/27 Copa Sudamericana Plaza Colonia / Zamora beIN SPORTS: 3153 / beIN Español: 1187 4,340
58 2/25 Copa Sudamericana River Plate / Atletico Grau beIN SPORTS: 1450 / beIN Español: 2741 4,191
59 2/28 Turkish Super League Alanyaspor / Besiktas beIN SPORTS: 72 / beIN Español: 3359 3,431
60 2/26 Copa Sudamericana Recopa Flamengo / Independiente del Valle beIN SPORTS: 2876 2,876
61 2/25 Copa Sudamericana Goias / Sol de América beIN Español: 1699 1,699
62 2/27 Copa Libertadores Internacional / Deportes Tolima beIN Español: 1123 1,123

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