Hasta La Creative!

Spurred by Carli Lloyd’s majestic hat trick and a 5-2 win for the U.S. squad, Fox’s coverage of the 2015 Women’s World Cup final smashed the all-time ratings record for a stateside soccer audience.

According to Nielsen fast national data, the U.S.’s first World Cup championship since 1999 delivered 20.4 million viewers and a preliminary 15.2 household rating, making it the most-watched soccer game broadcast by an American TV network. Team USA’s decisive victory over Japan not only wiped away the memory of a tough 2011 loss, but it nearly doubled the 8.6 overnight rating posted by ESPN four years ago.

Sunday’s final topped the preliminary deliveries for the 1999 Women’s World cup title tilt, which drew just under 18 million viewers and a 13.3 household rating on ABC. Arguably a much more dramatic game — scoreless after extra time, the U.S. team would prevail over China in penalty kicks — the 1999 final would hold the record for the most-watched soccer match for 16 years.

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