The US women’s national team thrashed Japan 5-2 on Sunday night to clinch their third World Cup – and the TV ratings hit the heights too, with the match becoming the most watched soccer game in US history.

More than 25 million people tuned in to watch the game on Fox, smashing the previous record of 18.2 million set during USA’s 2-2 draw with Portugal in the group stages of last year’s men’s World Cup, when a stoppage-time goal from Silvestre Varela prevented a famous American victory.



“It is the highest metered market rating ever for a soccer game in the US on a single network,” Fox said in a statement. A Fox spokesperson told the Guardian before the game that the company was expecting an audience of about 19 million.

Sunday’s game also shattered the TV record for a women’s soccer match, the 1999 World Cup final, when almost 18 million people tuned in to watch Brandi Chastain score the winning penalty kick to beat China, famously removing her jersey and falling to her knees in one of America’s most memorable sporting celebrations.

The redoubtable Carli Lloyd scored a brilliant hat-trick as USA raced into a 4-0 lead within 16 minutes in Vancouver, but the TV audience peaked at 30.9 million between 8.30 and 8.45pm ET, in the last 15 minutes when it became clear USA were going to triumph.

The match also beat the audience for the 2011 women’s World Cup final, where USA lost out to Japan on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

The figures for Sunday night’s match average audience exceeded every game of the NBA finals. The Warriors-Cavaliers series on ABC garnered the highest viewership for an NBA finals in 17 years, but only 20m people, on average, tuned in.

It was also the most watched primetime telecast since March’s NCAA championship game on CBS, when Duke defeated Wisconsin 68-63 in a dramatic finale.

