*** The actual ratings numbers have not been released ***
Horn Dog Kaitlyn
The Bachelorette brought in 6.6 million viewers on Monday night. The US Open brought in 11.2 million the night before. The USA Women’s World Cup game against Columbia brought in what most likely will be in the 5-6 million viewer range based off this past data.
We’re also reminded that the 3.3 million who watched the U.S. women’s opening match against Australia was triple the viewership for the U.S. opener in 2011, while the 4.2 million who watched the next matchup with Sweden and the 5 million who saw the group-clinching win against Nigeria earlier this week rank among the largest audiences in U.S. women’s soccer history.
Alex Morgan scores first goal to give US a 1-0 lead over Columbia
Does anyone find it sad that the Women’s World Cup team, who only gets to play in this tournament every 4 years, may lose to a show that is on its 11th season promoting the same sorry story line?
The contrast in the two programs should cause worry. On one hand we have 11 girls giving it all on the world’s stage in an elimination game where a loss deprives a team from going back for 4 years. On the other hand we have Katilyn making out with Nick for an hour and half. To put this as simply as possible, Sex > Women’s Sports.
The only part of this that strikes a nerve with me is that it’s the World Cup and it feels like an exhibition game. I’ve never been a huge soccer fan but I watched the Men’s World Cup games for national pride. Other country’s take Futbol far more seriously than the US and the country deserves fan support. The World Cup is the World Cup, men or women, and the amount of people who watch it should exceed that of the Bachelorette.
ESPN has been running a series called “9 for IX” – a women’s geared mini-documentary series in the same vein as their “30 for 30”. One such episode covered the 1999 WWC, where the US beat China in the final in PK’s. The episode traces the rise of interest and support of the team, etc. as a group of young women making about $300 to play became icons in the sport stateside. When they gathered all of the players together, the one sentiment they shared was that they hoped that “we would be the beginning of something…that future groups would build on what we accomplished. We didn’t want to be a one-and-done story regarding US womens soccer.” The US has not won a WWC since 1999.
Since 1999, the Womens National Team has been incredibly successful by most accounts, and is widely considered one of the best in the world. This alone should spawn some interest – the fact that the US is actually one of the BEST in a sport we are traditionally only above-average in. It helps that other major soccer powers like Spain, Portugal, Italy, Argentina, etc. tend to not place a huge emphasis on their womens squad vs. their mens. However, our roster at this WWC is the oldest of any team…so our window for success with this group is closing quickly.
While there are less “dynamic” players in the women’s game, the pace and play is a bit different than the men’s, this is still a massive international tournament representing nations. As Laur noted, these women are probably the best female athletes in the world – from any sport. And we are one of the best teams in the world – but still kind of a sleeper team. That should be captivating to a sports-crazed, under-dog driven US fan market.
I’d certainly prefer my daughter to grow up learning leadership, loss, teamwork and dedication from the USWNT than any lesson a Bachelorette could teach her – especially this one.
Maybe the women from the national team should all get one-on-one dates with the reject guys from the Bachelorette after a win. Or make Hope Solo the next Bachelorette.