The Group Stage of MLS is Back has concluded, with the evening kickoffs averaging 221,957 viewers across all English-language networks. On ESPN’s networks, the Group Stage averaged 240,786 viewers, which is almost even with the 240,903 viewers that the league averaged on ESPN’s networks in 2019. The numbers were not as good on FOX’s networks, with their broadcasts down 14% from 223,294 viewers in 2019.
The Premier League on NBC averaged 820,645 viewers in 31 broadcasts over the 2019-2020 season. The league saw a slight drop in viewership following the COVID hiatus, averaging just 810,000 viewers in NBC’s final six broadcasts. The final round drew at least 1.6 million concurrent viewers on linear television across NBC, NBCSN, USA, Golf Channel, Telemundo, Universo and CNBC.
The NWSL Challenge Cup final drew a record 653,000 viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched NWSL match of all time, and just the second to draw more than 200,000 viewers. CBS’s only two soccer broadcasts in 2020 so far, the NWSL Challenge Cup opener and the NWSL Challenge Cup final, averaged 612,500 viewers, larger than MLS’s only match on FOX this summer that drew 587,000 viewers.
| Rank | Date | Competition | Teams | Network | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7/16 | Copa por Mexico | Chivas / Club América | Univision: 1400000 | 1,400,000 |
| 2 | 7/19 | Copa por Mexico | Cruz Azul / Chivas | UniMás: 919000 | 919,000 |
| 3 | 7/26 | Premier League | Leicester City / Manchester United | NBC: 750000 / Universo: 62000 | 812,000 |
| 4 | 7/19 | Premier League | Spurs / Leicester City | NBCSN: 557000 / Telemundo: 127000 | 684,000 |
| 5 | 7/26 | NWSL Challenge Cup Final | Houston Dash / Chicago Red Stars | CBS: 653000 | 653,000 |
| 6 | 7/22 | Premier League | Liverpool / Chelsea | NBCSN: 550000 / Universo: 59000 | 609,000 |
| 7 | 7/25 | Liga MX | Chivas / León | Telemundo: 586000 | 586,000 |
| 8 | 7/25 | Liga MX | Cruz Azul / Santos Laguna | Univision: 584000 | 584,000 |
| 9 | 7/18 | Premier League | Norwich City / Burnley | NBC: 580000 | 580,000 |
| 10 | 7/27 | Liga MX | Pachuca / Club América | UniMás: 491000 | 491,000 |
| 11 | 7/26 | Liga MX | Pumas / Querétaro | Univision: 401000 | 401,000 |
| 12 | 7/21 | Premier League | Aston Villa / Arsenal | NBCSN: 375000 | 375,000 |
| 13 | 7/22 | Premier League | Manchester United / West Ham | NBCSN: 355000 | 355,000 |
| 14 | 7/26 | Premier League | Chelsea / Wolves | USA: 220000 / Telemundo: 127000 | 347,000 |
| 15 | 7/16 | Premier League | Crystal Palace / Manchester United | NBCSN: 304000 | 304,000 |
| 16 | 7/18 | MLS is Back | Los Angeles FC / Los Angeles Galaxy | ESPN: 296000 | 296,000 |
| 17 | 7/15 | Copa por Mexico | Cruz Azul / Tigres | UniMás: 284000 | 284,000 |
| 18 | 7/27 | MLS is Back Round of 16 | Seattle Sounders / Los Angeles FC | FS1: 284000 | 284,000 |
| 19 | 7/20 | MLS is Back | Philadelphia Union / Orlando City SC | ESPN: 237000 / TUDN: 44000 | 281,000 |
| 20 | 7/21 | Premier League | Watford / Manchester City | NBCSN: 261000 / Universo: 20000 | 281,000 |
| 21 | 7/26 | Premier League | West Ham / Aston Villa | NBCSN: 280000 | 280,000 |
| 22 | 7/14 | Premier League | Chelsea / Norwich City | NBCSN: 273000 | 273,000 |
| 23 | 7/18 | MLS is Back | Portland Timbers / Houston Dynamo | ESPN: 266000 | 266,000 |
| 24 | 7/21 | MLS is Back | Atlanta United / Columbus Crew SC | ESPN2: 205000 / TUDN: 40000 | 245,000 |
| 25 | 7/19 | Premier League | AFC Bournemouth / Southampton | NBCSN: 235000 | 235,000 |
| 26 | 7/26 | MLS is Back Round of 16 | Toronto FC / New York City FC | FS1: 169000 / TUDN: 63000 | 232,000 |
| 27 | 7/27 | MLS is Back Round of 16 | San Jose Earthquakes / Real Salt Lake | FS1: 223000 | 223,000 |
| 28 | 7/20 | Premier League | Wolves / Crystal Palace | NBCSN: 222000 | 222,000 |
| 29 | 7/20 | Premier League | Sheffield United / Everton | NBCSN: 200000 | 200,000 |
| 30 | 7/22 | MLS is Back | FC Cincinnati / New York Red Bulls | ESPN: 200000 | 200,000 |
| 31 | 7/17 | Premier League | West Ham / Watford | NBCSN: 196000 | 196,000 |
| 32 | 7/18 | Serie A | Hellas Verona / Atalanta | ESPN: 190000 | 190,000 |
| 33 | 7/25 | MLS is Back Round of 16 | Philadelphia Union / New England Revolution | ESPN2: 190000 | 190,000 |
| 34 | 7/22 | MLS is Back | Colorado Rapids / Minnesota United | ESPN: 186000 | 186,000 |
| 35 | 7/23 | MLS is Back | Los Angeles FC / Portland Timbers | ESPN2: 185000 | 185,000 |
| 36 | 7/26 | MLS is Back Round of 16 | Sporting Kansas City / Vancouver Whitecaps | FS1: 124000 / TUDN: 58000 | 182,000 |
| 37 | 7/16 | Premier League | Leicester City / Sheffield United | NBCSN: 181000 | 181,000 |
| 38 | 7/25 | MLS is Back Round of 16 | Orlando City SC / Montreal Impact | ESPN2: 181000 | 181,000 |
| 39 | 7/19 | MLS is Back | Chicago Fire / San Jose Earthquakes | FS1: 130000 / TUDN: 50000 | 180,000 |
| 40 | 7/19 | MLS is Back | Seattle Sounders / Vancouver Whitecaps | FS1: 164000 / TUDN: 15000 | 179,000 |
| 41 | 7/23 | MLS is Back | Los Angeles Galaxy / Houston Dynamo | FS1: 96000 / TUDN: 81000 | 177,000 |
| 42 | 7/18 | Serie A | Cagliari / Sassuolo | ESPN: 171000 | 171,000 |
| 43 | 7/17 | MLS is Back | Real Salt Lake / Minnesota United | ESPN: 162000 | 162,000 |
| 44 | 7/21 | MLS is Back | Montreal Impact / DC United | ESPN2: 132000 / TUDN: 26000 | 158,000 |
| 45 | 7/26 | Premier League | Arsenal / Watford | Golf: 157000 | 157,000 |
| 46 | 7/16 | MLS is Back | Atlanta United / FC Cincinnati | ESPN: 153000 | 153,000 |
| 47 | 7/16 | MLS is Back | New York Red Bulls / Columbus Crew SC | FS1: 137000 / TUDN: 16000 | 153,000 |
| 48 | 7/17 | MLS is Back | DC United / New England Revolution | ESPN: 152000 | 152,000 |
| 49 | 7/16 | MLS is Back | Toronto FC / Montreal Impact | FS1: 150000 | 150,000 |
| 50 | 7/24 | Liga MX | Necaxa / Tigres | TUDN: 149000 | 149,000 |
| 51 | 7/19 | Serie A | Fiorentina / Torino | ESPN: 142000 | 142,000 |
| 52 | 7/21 | MLS is Back | Toronto FC / New England Revolution | ESPN: 137000 | 137,000 |
| 53 | 7/23 | MLS is Back | Chicago Fire / Vancouver Whitecaps | ESPN: 137000 | 137,000 |
| 54 | 7/14 | MLS is Back | Inter Miami / Chicago Fire | ESPN: 128000 | 128,000 |
| 55 | 7/22 | MLS is Back | Real Salt Lake / Sporting Kansas City | ESPN: 127000 | 127,000 |
| 56 | 7/27 | Liga MX | Mazatlán / Puebla | TUDN: 115000 | 115,000 |
| 57 | 7/14 | MLS is Back | Orlando City SC / New York City FC | TUDN: 111000 | 111,000 |
| 58 | 7/27 | Liga MX | Atlético San Luis / Juárez | TUDN: 108000 | 108,000 |
| 59 | 7/20 | MLS is Back | Inter Miami / New York City FC | ESPN: 102000 | 102,000 |
| 60 | 7/15 | Serie A | Sampdoria / Cagliari | ESPN: 94000 | 94,000 |
| 61 | 7/23 | Serie A | Lazio / Cagliari | ESPN: 88000 | 88,000 |
| 62 | 7/15 | MLS is Back | Vancouver Whitecaps / San Jose Earthquakes | TUDN: 83000 | 83,000 |
| 63 | 7/15 | Serie A | Lecce / Fiorentina | ESPN: 81000 | 81,000 |
| 64 | 7/14 | MLS is Back | Nashville SC / Philadelphia Union | TUDN: 78000 | 78,000 |
| 65 | 7/21 | Serie A | Atalanta / Bologna | ESPN: 76000 | 76,000 |
| 66 | 7/16 | La Liga | Barcelona / Osasuna | beIN SPORTS: 74000 | 74,000 |
| 67 | 7/16 | Serie A | Torino / Genoa | ESPN: 71000 | 71,000 |
| 68 | 7/25 | Liga MX | Tijuana / Atlas | FOXD: 69000 | 69,000 |
| 69 | 7/15 | MLS is Back | Toronto FC / Montreal Impact | TUDN: 53000 | 53,000 |
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