Kick-off
The Women’s FIFA World Cup got underway yesterday, as co-hosts New Zealand and Australia both secured 1-0 victories in their opening games. This year's tournament has received a massive boost from FIFA, with the prize pot tripling and the total budget skyrocketing to some $395 million, a substantial rise from $156 million in 2019.
With 32 countries competing, the competition is set to be the biggest Women's World Cup in its 32-year history. Ticket sales could surpass record levels too — yesterday, the Australian football governing body reported that over 1.3 million tickets have been sold, with the organizers confident that the figure will reach an impressive 1.5 million by the time the final kick is taken.
All eyes will be on the US, the current champions, as it begins its quest for an unprecedented third consecutive title at 9 PM ET. However, the American team's invincibility has shown signs of waning. Missing out on the finals at the Tokyo Olympics and a series of defeats against European challengers last fall has raised questions about the USWNT’s dominance, though it remains many bookmakers' favorites to lift the trophy.
Prime time glory
The prospect of a US final is not only exciting for fans but also a matter of great interest for domestic TV networks. Nielsen ratings data reveals that, during the two occasions when the US team failed to reach the final in 2003 and 2007, viewership plummeted to below 1 million. In stark contrast, whenever the US women got to the last two, emerging victorious on three of those occasions since 1999, viewing figures surpassed tallies for the Men's World Cup Final from the year before.
