World Cup Final Sets Viewership Record for ABC

Showdown between Germany and Argentina hits a 20-year World Cup high for the networks

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The World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina might not have been the highest scoring soccer game on record, but the match led to some pretty big numbers for ESPN and ABC.

The game, which saw Germany squeeze out a 1-0 victory in extra time, averaged 17,324,000 total viewers with its ABC telecast — the most-watched World Cup Final ever. It was also the third-most watched World Cup match in the U.S. overall,  behind ESPN’s coverage of this year’s USA vs. Portugal match and the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final between the U.S. and China, which aired on ABC.

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