U.S. viewership for the Women’s World Cup final was more than 20 percent higher than the men’s World Cup final in 2018, according to Fox Sports, which aired the match.
Viewership for the final between the U.S. and the Netherlands on Sunday peaked at nearly 20 million viewers, making it the most-watched soccer match on English-language television in the U.S. since the women’s 2015 final, which the U.S. also won, Fox Sports reported.
Nearly 10 percent of all U.S. households with TVs tuned in for the game.
The women’s team has typically fared better than the men’s team. While the U.S. women’s team has four World Cup titles — including the most recent 2-0 victory against the Netherlands — under its belt, the men’s team has yet to play in a World Cup final and failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament.{mosads}
The women’s team has also continued to generate more revenue than U.S. men’s games, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Despite their performance, a pay gap remains between U.S. male and female players. The women’s team is involved in a gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation because the organization pays male players far more than female players.
For example, each player on the U.S. women’s national team could receive about $260,000 in maximum earnings for winning the Women’s World Cup, while each player on the U.S. men’s national team could have earned nearly $1 million if the club had won the tournament.
The gap gained increased scrutiny during the Women’s World Cup, with chants of “equal pay” echoing from the bleachers on Sunday following the U.S. women’s national team’s win.