Posted at 9:37 a.m., Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Soccer: Beckham debut sets ESPN high for MLS team
Advertiser Staff
NEW YORK — David Beckham's brief appearance in his first game with the Los Angeles Galaxy was enough to draw a record ESPN audience for a game involving a Major League Soccer team.Saturday night's exhibition match between the Galaxy and Chelsea on ESPN earned a 1.0 rating and was watched by about 1,468,000 people. MLS's debut game between D.C. United and the San Jose Clash in 1996 also drew a 1.0 rating. It was watched by about 1,092,000 people.
Beckham, hobbled by an ankle injury, played the final 12 minutes plus four minutes of stoppage time in the Galaxy's 1-0 loss.
The rating means that approximately 1 percent of homes with ESPN tuned in to the game.
