Goal! Soccer coverage and advertising up dramatically since 2010
The number of U.S. English-language networks carrying soccer has more than doubled in the last three years and ad revenue spent on the sport has increased more than 40%, according to a new analysis by Nielsen.
In 2010, five English-language networks had some soccer coverage. Last year, 13 networks had games. The number of Spanish-language outlets carrying soccer also grew, from six to eight during the same period.
The growth reflects not only the popularity of soccer in America, but also the increasing number of sports-centric channels in the U.S. television space.
The total number of Soccer telecasts in the U.S. for 2013 was almost 3,900. In 2010, the number was 2,613.
Naturally, with that much more soccer on television, advertising also dramatically rose. Last year, advertisers spent about $400 million on soccer, up from $266 million in 2010.
The World Cup Tournament starts Thursday.
Follow Joe Flint on Twitter @JBFlint.
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