Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Belgium World Cup match draws more U.S. viewers than World Series
reuters.com ^ | Jul 2, 2014 | Reuters

Posted on 07/03/2014 12:04:29 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper

The more than 22 million watching on Tuesday beat the number of viewers - some 19 million - who tuned in to see the Boston Red Sox win the World Series last year.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: baseball; worldcup2014
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 next last
To: JennysCool

Yep. 2012 numbers

MLS

19 teams
Average attendance: 19,000
Total Attendance: 6,000,000

Baseball
30 teams
Average attendance: 31,000
Total Attendance: 74,000,000
And the numbers are increasing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_attendance_records#mediaviewer/File:MLB_Attendance.png

Only ONE team in the MLS had an average game attendance greater than baseball’s average of 31,000 in 2013, the Seattle Sounders at almost 44,000. 14 of the MLS teams had an average attendance less than 20,000 and six had less than 15,000. MLS plays 34 games. Baseball plays 162 games. Soccer has a long way to go to catch baseball in the USA.


21 posted on 07/03/2014 3:32:38 AM PDT by Henry Hnyellar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

“As much as I like soccer, the declining popularity of baseball saddens me.”

Same.


22 posted on 07/03/2014 3:42:19 AM PDT by pieceofthepuzzle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Henry Hnyellar

“Soccer has a long way to go to catch baseball in the USA.”

Thanks for the attendance figures. I think the big concern is that there is increasing enthusiasm of youngsters for lacrosse and soccer over baseball.


23 posted on 07/03/2014 3:46:50 AM PDT by pieceofthepuzzle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Me too. I learned to like baseball in Japan. I have immediately liked everything about it. The movements on the field, the whole ritual, hard to explain. I am sure it will stay around.


24 posted on 07/03/2014 4:15:12 AM PDT by cartan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Berlin_Freeper

Finally, we have the actual number of illegals in the US.


25 posted on 07/03/2014 4:15:34 AM PDT by PTBAA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Berlin_Freeper
The US is out, now who to root for?
If you like a well oiled-machine ... Germany

That's not to say the German attack isn't creative. It's brilliant. It's just very well designed, too, engineered contend for World Cups. This is the team's 16th quarterfinal appearance.

German American
German Americans (German: Deutschamerikaner) are Americans who were either born in Germany or are of German ancestry. They comprise about 50 million people, making them the largest ancestry group ahead of Irish Americans, African Americans and English Americans. They comprise about 1⁄3 of the German diaspora in the world.

German Americans established the first kindergartens in the United States,introduced the Christmas tree tradition, and originated popular American foods such as hot dogs and hamburgers Like many other immigrants that came to the United States, an overwhelming number of people of German or partial German descent have essentially become americanized.

26 posted on 07/03/2014 4:40:46 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper ("Finally, I have to mention a man who made life at the WH very sweet- Crustmaster & his crack pies")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

World Cup: Landon Donovan critical of USMNT's approach: "I don't think we were set up to succeed"

"'02 team was way ahead of the '14 team."

Quarter-Finals in '02, out in the round of 16 in '10 and '12. 2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses in '02, 1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses in '12.

28 posted on 07/03/2014 5:37:07 AM PDT by BeadCounter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool
The “agenda” will work. You are pissing in the wind trying to stop it. Im less likely to see this as some sort of PC agenda. It's more a case of soccer authorities and media outlets trying to promote the game. A game which will make them millions of dollars profit in the future. The same type of massaged figures come out of every organization whether that organization is for profit, non profit, charity, or run by the State.
29 posted on 07/03/2014 5:46:07 AM PDT by Scottishlibertarian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: BeadCounter
March to the Match Podcast: Is this really progress? "We played like minnows"

Forget proactive, inventive, creative soccer. What Jurgen Klinsmann's USMNT really delivered was a scared, disjointed and overly timid performance that was destined to happen because of poor roster selection and poor tactics. And what makes it worse is that he did so while simply repeating the mistakes Bruce Arena made in 2006 and Bob Bradley made in 2010. When will US Soccer learn?

30 posted on 07/03/2014 5:46:24 AM PDT by BeadCounter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

I think ABC runs Univision and ESPN.

Anyway, I’m aware of one minor league baseball team that built a stadium so in the end, I’m not exactly seeing the end of baseball.

MLB teams play about 162 games, that’s a load of games. Maybe too much, maybe not.

MLS 34 regular season games in 2013 and there is a following of fans in the USA who clearly would rather watch European soccer than even turn the MLS on.

A number of MLS stadiums really aren’t very exceedingly large, Columbus Crew’s soccer-specific stadium, 24,000. Kansas City’s, 22,000.

Also, think of the farm-team system, professional minor league teams in the USA. http://www.milb.com/index.jsp

I don’t see that coming to a screeching halt.

Sure, USA fans turned out to watch our games at the World Cup, that is great and every 4 years like the Summer Olympics. Yet, are these stats there when the MLS Championship is on? I’m not sure.


31 posted on 07/03/2014 5:56:55 AM PDT by BeadCounter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

“As much as I like soccer, the declining popularity of baseball saddens me.”

If you look at the general state of things, it isn’t surprising that baseball is losing some national popularity. We are a society of instant gratification. It’s only natural the most popular US sport is one of supposed constant action, instant gratification and glitzy celebrations. Hopefully baseball keeps flying under the radar and just keeps on keeping on.

FReegards


32 posted on 07/03/2014 5:58:18 AM PDT by Ransomed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: BeadCounter

The 162 game season is why the RSN contracts for baseball are so humongous. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing or if it is a temporary bubble or what. But TV is willing to pay a lot right now for so much generally dvr-proof programming in order to sell advertising.

Freegards


33 posted on 07/03/2014 6:07:38 AM PDT by Ransomed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: BeadCounter
Professional Minor League Baseball Teams in the USA

Just the As and Bs alone:

The As; Aberdeen, Akron, Albuquerque, Altooona, Arkansas, Asheville, Auburn, Augusta.

The Bs; Bakersfield, Batavia, Beloit, Billings, Binghampton, Birmingham, Bluefield, Boise, Bowie, Bowling Green, Bradenton,Brevard County, Bristol, Brooklyn, Buffalo and 2 Burlingtons.

Does one really think we are going to see baseball decline with this kind of structure of minor league teams alone?

And that doesn't even include the American Association of Independent Baseball.

Grand Prairie Airhogs, Kansas City T-bones, Saint Paul Saints, Gary Southshore Railcats, Lincoln Saltdogs, etc.

With baseball so widespread, I certainly don't see it's stealth decline.

34 posted on 07/03/2014 6:11:40 AM PDT by BeadCounter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Rome2000

Really?

Grow up.


35 posted on 07/03/2014 6:42:49 AM PDT by al_c (Obama's standing in the world has fallen so much that Kenya now claims he was born in America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Berlin_Freeper

After “The Curse” was lifted, who really cares about the stinkin’ Sawx and Big Roidi anyway? Between them and the Patriots, we’ve learned that New England fans are even more insufferable winners than they were losers.


36 posted on 07/03/2014 6:51:46 AM PDT by OrangeHoof (Every time you say no to a liberal, you make the Baby Barack cry.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tredegar
However, there is one big problem with cricket: Test matches in the classic sense can take up to five days to complete for a single match. It makes baseball seem lightning-fast in comparison.

Small wonder why there is now one-day Test matches and the 20Twenty format to ensure today's cricket fans are more interested in the game.

37 posted on 07/03/2014 7:36:07 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Baseball is still relevant. Okay, there’s no doubt that baseball has disappeared in the Black community. A lot of Hispanics are playing. MLB average attendance is around 25,000 per game. Holding steady.


38 posted on 07/03/2014 8:08:16 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: RayChuang88

Understand your point about 5 day Test Matches and, sure, cricket is not for everyone, but I don’t see it as a problem. I see it as a luxury. There are T20s for instant gratification, One Day matches for those so inclined, and the five day game for the purists and traditionalists.

I love the ebb and flow of a Test match. Life is too fast as it is. You don’t necessarily watch every ball, but you can dip in and out. Was it the great PG Wodehouse who described cricket as ‘organised loafing?’

This old world has room for baseball and cricket (and soccer!)


39 posted on 07/03/2014 10:06:36 AM PDT by Tredegar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Berlin_Freeper

When I was a 17 year old college freshman, we still had mandatory physical education. So I took “team sports” which was supposed to be baseball, basketball, etc. like back in high school.

However the instructor (professor) turned out to be an international soccer player, just back from Finland or some such place. We played only soccer the entire semester.

A few years later I was stationed in Germany, and saw it being played everywhere, so I watched. Still later one of the very first subscription television channels brought English Premier League play to us, in the mid-late 70s. They edited a game down to 60 minutes.

The commentary was done by Mario Machado, who brought the game to English speakers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Machado


40 posted on 07/03/2014 10:38:11 AM PDT by truth_seeker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson