FS1’s USA-Costa Rica Copa America Telecast Scores Ratings Record

FS1’s telecast of Tuesday’s Copa America match between USA and Costa Rica drew record ratings for the network, according to Nielsen.

The match, won by the US, averaged 1.6 million viewers, ranking it as the most watched soccer math in the network’s history, beating out the 1.5 million viewers drawn by the 2015 Concacaf Cup event, said network officials.

The viewership number also surpasses the USA’s first match of the tournament, its June 3 loss to Colombia, which drew 1.5 million viewers.

The U.S.-Costa Rica rating marked a 54% bump over the average for the U.S. group stage matches in last summer’s prestigious CONCACAF Gold Cup, which averaged 1.0 million viewers.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.