• by Charlene Weisler , Op-Ed Contributor, July 9, 2019

Paul Lindstrom, head of research and analytics, Tunity, made a startling discovery when data started pouring in for the Women’s World Cup soccer games. “I looked deeper at the numbers for several games and came up with a few conclusions which prove the high numbers are truly a phenomenon,” he stated.

Here are a few key insights from Tunity (an app that “allows users to scan a muted live TV and stream the audio directly to their device,” according to Crunchbase):

-- Women’s soccer was a strong performer out of home. The U.S. versus England match was the #1 televised soccer game year to date OOH and was the tenth highest sporting event year to date, with 8.5 million OOH viewers. The U.S. versus The Netherlands final delivered 6.9 million viewers.

-- Women’s soccer beats men’s soccer. The U.S. versus England game as well as the final versus the Netherlands beat the 2018 men’s World Cup final OOH, which delivered 4.6 million viewers OOH.

-- The U.S. vs. England match ranks #10 among the top 20 sports shows of 2019, in a field dominated by football and basketball and during top championships like the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and NCAA Tournament.

-- Total OOH usage during the USA vs. France game (6/28/19, 7.8 million) was up +225% over the previous Friday, June 21. The game also ranked as the #1 and #2 program for OOH viewing for the week across every venue. During the game’s time period, the venue breakdown was as follows: 84% of total OOH usage, 91% of OOH viewing in bars/restaurants, 89% of OOH viewing in offices and 51% of OOH viewing in gyms where the primary focus was not necessarily on TV viewing.

-- U.S. vs. France was tied for the youngest OOH audience among a range of selected high-profile games, and the male proportion of viewers remains high -- in line with NBA and NHL OOH viewers, yet higher than events like the NBA Draft and The Kentucky Derby. Game viewers trend much younger than OOH usage as a whole, with a substantially higher percentage of men.

The numbers should continue to impress as the team prepares for next season. Stay tuned -- no matter where you are.