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 |
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