The sport of soccer was once seen by many Americans as an afterthought; today, it is experiencing an unprecedented growth in interest which is pushing the sport towards relevancy in this country for the first time.
“I have so many friends who are a part of one soccer league or another,” says junior Tahira Tasnim.
This newfound interest has been directed towards all forms of soccer—from international professional leagues and domestic Major League Soccer to the men’s and women’s national teams.
Americans are more interested in international soccer now than ever before. The most recent European Championship tournament, in the summer of 2012, drew 1.9 million viewers per game on average, up 63% from the viewership in 2008.
Professional leagues abroad, such as the English Premier League, have also garnered larger significance in America. Recently, NBC bought the rights to televise Premier League games in the United States for $250 million over three years, illustrating the newfound importance of international soccer; in comparison, Fox and ESPN paid $80 million for the broadcasting rights over the last three years.
The growth hasn’t been limited to foreign soccer—Major League Soccer is currently experiencing a rapid rise as well.
The league experienced new record attendance numbers, with an average of 18,807 people at each game, up more than five percent from the year before. It also has done well on television, as ratings for games on ESPN and NBC Sports Network are up from the previous year and were on pace at the midway point of the season to reach all-time highs. For example, the June ESPN telecast of a game between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, two bitter Pacific Northwest rivals, attracted the most viewers for an MLS game in 14 years.
Major League Soccer has expanded its league across the continent as well, adding teams in Toronto, Seattle, Philadelphia, Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal in the last five years. The league could also reach Central Florida soon, as there have been discussions to add current United Soccer League team Orlando City Soccer Club to Major League Soccer.
Junior Cyrus Bonyadi is quite excited for the possibility of the MLS coming to Orlando. “[Orlando City Soccer is] really great and we have a much stronger presence here than [other potential expansion cities],” he remarked.
The United States men’s and women’s national teams have reaped the benefits of soccer’s growing predominance as well.
The men’s team achieved unprecedented viewership during the 2010 World Cup, where a record 14.9 million viewers watched the U.S. lose to Ghana, 2-1, in the round of 16.
The women’s team has grown in popularity as well in recent times, in line with their successes in reaching the finals of the 2011 World Cup and winning the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics. An average of roughly 4.4 million viewers watched the gold medal match this summer between the U.S. and Japan.
“I felt very excited and proud of the U.S.,” says freshman Naveen Krishnan on the women’s national team winning a gold medal in London. “I enjoy seeing [the United States] succeed in whatever sports and events they participate in.”
These are certainly exciting times to be a soccer fan in the United States.