The U.S. Women's soccer team’s first World Cup match was the most-watched live sports event last week.
Fox Sports’ telecast of the July 21 U.S.-Vietnam Women’s World Cup event averaged 5.26 million viewers to top all events, according to Nielsen numbers published by SportsMedia Watch. Overall, Fox Sports posted two Women’s World Cup telecasts in the top 10, including its July 20 match between Nigeria and Canada.
NBC’s coverage of golf’s Open Championship — often referred to in the U.S. as the British Open — drew three top 10 slots last week, including a second-place finish for the July 23 final round that drew 3.35 million viewers.
USA Network’s July 23 coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series Pocono 400 averaged 2.8 million viewers to draw a third-place ratings finish. The performance was up 8% from last year’s race and was NBC Sports’ most-watched Cup Series race on cable since 2019.
Also finishing in the top 10 was Univision’s July 21 coverage of international soccer star Lionel Messi’s Major League Soccer debut with Inter Miami, which averaged 1.75 million viewers. The game was the biggest MLS single-network audience since 2004, according to SportsMedia Watch.
| Date | Event | Network | Viewership |
| July 21 | Women's World Cup (US-Vietnam) | Fox | 5.26 million |
| July 23 | 2023 Open Golf Tournament | NBC | 3.35 million |
| July 23 | NASCAR Pocono Race | USA | 2.80 million |
| July 22 | 2023 Open Golf Tournament | NBC | 2.61 million |
| July 22 | Fox Saturday Baseball | Fox | 1.93 million |
| July 21 | MLS Leagues Cup (Cruz Azul-Inter Miami) | Univision | 1.75 million |
| July 23 | NASCAR Pocono Race (pre-show) | USA | 1.74 million |
| July 23 | 2023 Open Golf Tournament (pre-show) | NBC | 1.45 million |
| July 23 | Sunday Night Baseball | ESPN | 1.30 million |
| July 20 | Women's World Cup: Nigeria-Canada | Fox | 1.22 million |
