Soccer is having a moment in the United States, and those good vibes are showing up in the TV ratings. The World Cup co-host’s knockout round match against Bosnia-Herzegovina was watched by an average of 24.4 million people with a peak of 31.9 million people in the second half. That makes it the highest rated English language broadcast of a soccer game in the history of the United States, and it no doubt has Fox executives dreaming about the possible numbers the next game could put up.
The United States Men’s National Team next plays Belgium in the round of 16, and there is real optimism the team could advance and head to the quarterfinals for only the third time ever and first since 2002. The group is a narrow betting favorite with the oddsmakers, due in part to the team’s home field advantage, and the chatter around the team is arguably the loudest it has ever been. Fans are really fired up, and it’s almost certainly going to translate to a huge number on Monday night between the Fox broadcast and streaming options.
