FA Cup & UEFA Champions League Audiences Up Big
As the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, two of Europe’s elite soccer competitions carried in the U.S. on FOX Sports 1, head towards this season’s later rounds next month, the brief pause in play offers an opportunity to review viewership trends, and both are experiencing significant year-over-year audience growth, according to figures released by Nielsen.
UEFA Champions League, the preeminent competition in world club soccer, is +57% in viewers (296,000 vs. 189,000 – 25 matches both years) through its Round of 16, and up an eye-popping +81% in Adults 18-49 (188,000 vs. 104,000).
Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Manchester City in a first leg Round of 16 Champions League match on Tuesday, Feb. 24 drew 779,000 viewers and 596,000 Adults 18-49, and is now the No. 1 Champions League match in both categories on FOX Sports 1. It is the most-watched UEFA Champions League match in viewers and A18-49 on cable since the 5/27/09 Champions League Final on ESPN between Barcelona and Manchester United.
FA Cup, the world’s oldest soccer competition and England’s main domestic cup tournament, is +38% in viewers (220,000 vs. 159,000 – 17 matches this year vs. 9 last year), and +52% for Adults 18-49 (137,000 vs. 90,000) season-to-date through Round 6.
The 6th Round goalless draw between Liverpool and Blackburn on Sunday, March 8 scored 506,000 viewers making it the most-watched FA Cup match on English language cable since at least 2008. The next day, Arsenal’s 2-1 elimination of Manchester United in the same round scored 402,000 viewers making it the most-watched weekday FA Cup match on cable since at least 2008. This season, with the March 8-9 matches at the top, FOX Sports 1 has recorded four of its five most-watched FA Cup matches since launch.
All FA Cup and UEFA Champions League matches and related studio programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 are available to customers of participating pay-TV providers via FOX Sports GO and FOX Soccer 2Go apps, and on the web through FOXSportsGO.com. FOX Sports GO is currently available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire tablets and Fire phones and select Windows devices. Fans can download the mobile app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store and Windows Store. Fans can also follow minute-by-minute commentary via @FOXSoccer and @FOXSoccerTrax Twitter accounts.
