U.S. World Cup Viewership Increases in Opening Games

NEW YORK: Almost 13 million people watched the U.S. face off against England on ABC on Saturday, with a further 3.8 million watching the game on Univision, according to reports.

The 1-1 draw was the fifth most-watched World Cup broadcast on ABC since 1994. Univision, meanwhile, outrated ESPN with its coverage of the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, drawing 5.4 million viewers, as compared with 2.9 million on ESPN.

All together, the first five matches averaged roughly 8.1 million viewers, up from 4.5 million in 2006.