The 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals between the United States and Japan was the most-watched and highest-rated soccer telecast on an ESPN network. The match earned a 7.4 U.S. household rating and was seen by an average of 13.4 million viewers.
The previous ESPN record was the USA-Algeria men’s match from the 2010 World Cup, which earned a 4.0 U.S. household rating and 6.16 million viewers.
Overall, Sunday’s match was the sixth-most viewed soccer telecast ever in the United States.
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Most-Viewed Soccer Events in the United States:
| Date | Match | Network | U.S. Rating | P2+ (Viewers) |
| Sat., July 10, 1999 | USA vs. China – Final | ABC | 11.4 | 17,975,000 |
| Sun., July 11, 2010 | Netherlands vs. Spain – Final | ABC | 8.4 | 15,905,000 |
| Sat., June 26, 2010 | USA vs. Ghana – Round of 16 | ABC | 8.5 | 15,193,000 |
| Sun., July 17, 1994 | Italy vs. Brazil – Final | ABC | 9.5 | 14,510,000 |
| Mon., July 4, 1994 | Brazil vs. USA – Round of 16 | ABC | 9.3 | 13,694,000 |
| Sun., July 17, 2011 | USA vs. Japan – Final | ESPN | 7.4 | 13,458,000 |
| Sun., July 9, 2006 | Italy vs. France – Final | ABC | 7.0 | 11,961,000 |