Although they lost the World Cup-qualifying match with Costa Rica on Tuesday, Mexico still managed to stay alive for possible inclusion in the 2014 World Cup by virtue of the USA defeating Panama via two goals late in their match on the same night. Mexico will now face New Zealand in a home-and-away playoff in November (Mexico will host a match Nov. 13 or 14, then play in New Zealand Nov. 20), with a 2014 World Cup berth at stake. As exciting and suspenseful a night it was for fans of Mexico on Tuesday, it was every bit as exciting for Telemundo, which saw big ratings for its coverage of the Mexico vs Costa Rica World Cup qualifier.
Telemundo, citing Nielsen numbers, says that the Mexico vs Costa Rica match on Tuesday averaged 4.64 million total viewers and 2.81 million Adults 18-49, ranking as the No. 1 program on Spanish-language television. The network says that the match coverage outperformed FOX’s entire primetime lineup, as well as ABC’s programming from 9-11pm ET among Adults 18-49. By the end of the night, the Mexico vs Costa Rica match had ranked as the highest-rated Mexican National Team match of the year among total viewers in any network, and reached a cumulative audience of 8 million Total Viewers and 4.7 million Adults 18-49.
Coverage also scored in various Telemundo local markets. The Mexico vs Costa Rica match was No. 1 regardless of language among Total Viewers in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and Dallas, as well as No. 1 among Adults 18-49 in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix and San Francisco. Additionally, the match was No. 1 among Men 18-49 in Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Phoenix.
What channel will both the play-off matches between Mexico & New Zealand be played on Univision, Unimas, or Telemundo?