Americans love the World Cup - we still don't care about soccer

An Atlantic magazine writer suggests the buzz around the U.S. World Cup soccer team is less about the sport of soccer and more a nod to global sporting events every four years.

It’s true that the U.S. vs. Ghana match netted a 7.0 ratings share on Nielsen – a record for a FIFA World Cup game on ESPN. But writer Derek Thompson compares the surge in soccer viewing to the 30 million Americans who watched Usain Bolt win the 100-meter race in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Since then, probably few Americans have consistently watched track and field events on television.

“Soccer isn't becoming America's new baseball. The World Cup is becoming America's new Summer Olympics,” Thompson concludes. “In the 1,400 days between World Cup matches, everybody goes back to not watching soccer on TV.”
 
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