ST. LOUIS – The United States’ World Cup ride ended Saturday morning with a loss to the Netherlands, but new research shows St. Louis fans stayed loyal to the team throughout the ride.
St. Louis was named the second-best market in terms of viewership for The US World Cup game Saturday morning, according to data from FOX Sports Public Relations.
The match peaked at around 16.4 million people in the first half and nearly 13 million watching through FOX Sports. The game marked a 163% jump in viewership from the last U.S. Round of 16 matchup against Russia in 2018.
St. Louis ended up with a ratings score of (10.2/34). The top five markets included:
Cincinnati (10.4/33)St. Louis (10.2/34)Washington D.C. (9.9/33)Kansas City (9.9/33)Austin (9.8/35)
There are at least two strong reasons for St. Louis’ dominance in the ratings. Soccer interest is increasing in the region as St. Louis City prepares for its MLS debut season in 2023. The U.S. also rostered St. Louis-area natives Josh Sargent and Tim Ream, though Sargent missed the last game with an injury.
For the latest World Cup programming schedule on FOX 2, click here.