Sunday’s World Cup match between Mexico and Netherlands has set a Spanish-language ratings record in the United States.
Nielsen estimates that 10.4 million total viewers were watching during any average minute as Mexico lost 2-1 to be eliminated from the tournament. This easily tops the previous record for a World Cup match on the network, set in 2010 with Mexico-Argentina (9.4 million).
It also edges out a December 2007 episode of “Destilando Amor” as the most-viewed telecast in the States of any Spanish-language program.
Univision is having its most-watched World Cup ever, with overall viewership up more than 40% from the 2010 tournament.
Sunday’s match drew 6.57 million viewers on ESPN — the largest audience ever on the network for a World Cup match not involving Team USA — for a U.S. total of roughly 17 million. Univision stations had more than twice the audience of ESPN in Los Angeles, Miami and Houston, according to Nielsen.
