Most-watched soccer games in the USA: April 29-May 5, 2024
The list of most-watched soccer games in the USA from April 29 to May 5, 2024, has been revealed, with the UEFA Champions League semifinals taking center stage. The penultimate round of everyone's favorite European club soccer tournament grabbed two slots in the top three, with Real Madrid's thrilling trip to Bayern Munich taking the number one spot.
Los Blancos drew 2-2 in Munich, with Vinicius Jr. scoring twice to help the visitors secure a first-leg advantage as nearly one million average viewers – 958,000, to be precise – tuned in to CBS to catch the actions. That's not all as an additional 760,000 additional average viewers tuned in via other platforms (606,000 on Univision and 154,000 on TUDN), meaning over 1.5 million saw this thriller.
Dortmund vs. PSG, the other UEFA Champions League semifinal that took place last week, also made it to the podium. However, that first-leg showdown nabbed the third spot on this list, earning 782,000 average viewers and a rating of 0.47 for CBS. Niclas Füllkrug scored the only goal in that tie, thus securing the German giants a 1-0 victory.
Sandwiched in between those two UEFA Champions League fixtures is Manchester City's weekend demolition of Wolves. The reigning Premier League champions thrashed Gary O'Neil's side 5-1 in a match that earned NBC 906,000 average viewers, with Erling Haaland grabbing a super hat-trick.
For a full breakdown of last week's most-watched soccer games in the USA, click here
What are this week's must-watch games?
Man City gearing for crucial showdowns against Fulham and Tottenham live on USA Network and UNIVERSO
Manchester City are in must-win territory as the reigning Premier League champions kick off Matchweek 37 with an interesting trip to Craven Cottage. Guardiola's men are second in the table, sitting a point behind current leaders Arsenal, but the Cityzens have a game in hand. As a result, Haaland and Co. simply need to win their remaining three fixtures and they will be crowned the champions of England for a fourth straight year. Can Fulham dent their title hopes? Tune in to find out.
And that's not all. Man City will play their game in hand this midweek and that will be their tricky trip to Tottenham on Tuesday live at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network and Universo. Spurs are facing an uphill battle to qualify for the UEFA Champions League and while their fans do not wish to see their team assist Arsenal in the title race, Son and Co. are desperate for the three points. The Cityzens, on the flip side, have never won at Tottenham's new stadium and will be looking to end their hoodoo.
Montreal vs. Inter Miami live this Saturday at 7:45 p.m. ET exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Will Inter Miami win a fifth straight match in the MLS and strengthen their grip on the Supporters' Shield? This is the question on everyone's mind as Lionel Messi's side visit CF Montreal this Saturday. The Herons recently thrashed the New York Red Bulls 6-2, with the club's Argentine sensation scoring once and assisting five goals in a historic night. As a result, Tata Martino's men sit three points ahead of their nearest rivals in the race for this season's Supporters' Shield. However, Inter Miami were beaten 3-2 the last time they met CF Montreal and will thus be in search of revenge.
Manchester United vs. Arsenal live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on Telemundo and Peacock
All eyes will be on Old Trafford as Arsenal renew their bitter rivalry with Manchester United. While the Red Devils boast a fantastic home record against the North London giants, Ten Hag's men enter this fixture wounded, with injuries and poor form leaving them with only two wins from their last 10 league matches. The Gunners, on the flip side, are competing for the title and top the table by a one-point advantage. However, nearest rivals Manchester City have a game in hand, meaning Arteta's side have to win their last two games of the season and hope for a slip-up from Guardiola's men. Don't miss this showdown.
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool live this Monday at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network and UNIVERSO
The fun does not end with the weekend as Liverpool prepare to visit Aston Villa in a highly-anticipated game on Monday. While the Reds are all but out of the Premier League title race following a dip in form, the Merseyside giants will want to do their best in Jurgen Klopp's final few games in charge. Unai Emery's men, on the flip side, are in a heated top-four race with Tottenham and will want to bounce back from their 1-0 loss to Brighton and Thursday's UEFA Europa Conference League semifinal elimination at the hands of Olympiacos.
Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad live this Monday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Wrapping things up is Barcelona's clash with Real Sociedad. The Blaugrana, who have been leapfrogged in the table by Girona, will want to return to winning ways following their 4-2 loss away to that Catalan rival. La Real, on the flip side, are sixth in the table and while UEFA Champions League qualification is out of the question, the Basque outfit will want to fight off a late surge from Real Betis and Valencia to deny them a spot in Europe.
What to watch on NBC, USA Network, Telemundo, and UNIVERSO: May 9-15, 2024
Covering the best league in the world is not an easy task, and NBCUniversal has made it their duty to bring Premier League fans closer to their favorite teams with the kind of coverage they have prepared for the upcoming matchweek and beyond, as there will be some re-scheduled games being played in the next seven days.
The company will comprehensively cover the next few days in the English top-flight, dividing all available games across four channels: two in English, and two more for their Spanish-speaking audience.
The network's flagship channel, NBC, will be in charge of covering one game: Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea.
Meanwhile, USA Network will carry the heaviest load of games for this week, with five fixtures being covered by the channel from Saturday to Wednesday, including Tottenham vs. Manchester City and Manchester United vs. Arsenal.
Click here for a full breakdown of what to watch on NBC, USA Network, Telemundo, and UNIVERSO live on May 9-15, 2024
What to watch and stream on beIN Sports' feeds this weekend
beIN Sports will handle some of the top matches to watch within the United States, giving their users a chance to follow competitions from many regions in the world.
The network will provide coverage of quite a few games on linear television, while also extending their coverage with more matches available on beIN Sports Connect. Fans will be able to watch their preferred games in either English or Spanish language since the company will also make most matches available to watch via beIN Sports en Español.
Some of the competitions that will be covered on this network include France's Ligue 1 and the Turkish Süper Lig. Nonetheless, the real treat for fans in the United States will come thanks to the inclusion of more Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana fixtures, with both South American tournaments entering the final matches in the group stage.
Click here for a full breakdown of what to watch on beIN Sports live this weekend
Things are starting to wind down in many of Europe's top leagues, where the title races in some have already been decided. However, over in the NWSL, things are just starting to pick up, while in England, history is set to be made in the Women's FA Cup final on Sunday, May 12th.
Here is all you need to know.
What to watch in women's soccer: May 10th to May 12th
Liga F
Fans in the USA will be able to livestream some great games from Liga F via DAZN USA over the next few days. The action starts on Friday, May 10th with a tie featuring Barcelona vs. Athletic Bilbao at 2:30 p.m. ET. So far, the Blaugrana have yet to lose a single match this season and are the natural heavy favorites to pick up a win here, although fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao have been in great form recently, with four wins from their last five games.
Then, on Saturday, eyes will turn towards a Madrid derby starring Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Although there is a 13-point gap between Las Blancas, who will be hosting the tie, and Las Rojiblancas, who will be the visiting side, this game nonetheless will be absolutely crucial for both teams. Real Madrid presently sit in second place and have won their last five on the trot, while Atletico Madrid are in third and have won all but one of their last five. DAZN USA will also be live streaming this game with a kick-off time of 3 p.m. ET.
NWSL
Another round of NWSL games gets underway starting on Friday, May 10th with Racing Louisville vs. Washington Spirit. The Spirit currently sit in third place, and could temporarily move to top spot in the table should they pick up a road win against Louisville. Then, on Saturday, Orlando Pride, who have now moved to the top spot in the table thanks to a brilliant run of form, will aim to make it a sixth consecutive NWSL win when they host new side Bay FC.
And on Sunday, Kansas City Current, who have mostly occupied the top spot but have slipped down to second after a draw from their last game, will aim to try to avoid a further slide down the table as they seek to heap more misery on a North Carolina Courage side who come into this game having lost their last two games.
Women's FA Cup
History will be made on Sunday, May 12th when the 54th iteration of the Women's FA Cup comes to a conclusion at Wembley Stadium. Manchester United and Tottenham will square off for the chance to become crowned FA Cup winners for the first time after beating Chelsea and Leicester City respectively in the semifinals. Fans Stateside can livestream this match starting at 9:30 a.m. ET via ESPN+.
What to watch in women's soccer: May 13th to May 16th
Frauen-Bundesliga
Matchday 21 in the 2023/24 Frauen-Bundesliga season finishes on Monday, May 13th as third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt welcome Freiburg. DAZN USA will livestream that game at 1:30 p.m. ET. At one point, Frankfurt were making a serious push in the battle for the league title but hit a rough patch that saw them slide well behind league leaders Bayern Munich. Despite this, they sit in third place and have been in solid form as of late, with four wins from their last five games. By contrast, Freiburg are winless in their last five and come into this contest having four on the spin.
Serie A (Women)
With an eight-point lead at the top of the table and already the Serie A champions after successfully defending their crown, Roma will look to finish the 2023/24 season strong as they travel to face Juventus on Monday, May 13th. The Giallorosse have been involved in some really exciting games lately, namely beating Sassuolo 6-5 in an 11-goal thriller and then edging out Inter Milan in a match that saw seven goals scored between the two sides (4-3). As such, fans will certainly be eager to see if their upcoming showdown with Juventus will produce another free-scoring side or will be a more subdued contest.
Liga F
Just a few days after their weekend fixture, Barcelona return to action with more Liga F duties as the Blaugrana travel to face Eibar on Tuesday, May 14th. Options to follow this game include DAZN USA, who will be live-streaming this tie at 12:00 p.m. ET. On paper, this looks like it will be another lopsided clash, but as has been seen time and time again in soccer, surprises and shock results are not totally out of the realm of possibility.
WSL
Finally, on Wednesday, May 15th, it's set to be a London Derby as Tottenham take on Chelsea. Viewers based in the United States can livestream that match via Paramount+, with the game getting underway at 2:15 p.m. ET. This will be a must-win game for Chelsea, who were given a lifeline in their hopes of retaining the WSL title following Manchester City's 2-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, May 5th. Meanwhile, Tottenham come into this make-up game on a five-match unbeaten streak in the WSL, albeit they have dropped points in their last three due to consecutive draws.
Didn't find your favorite women's league on this list? No worries, as this is just a highlight of some of the exciting games coming up this week. Make sure to check out our special women's soccer page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
Biggest stories
De Ligt shares words by linesman following late disallowed goal for Bayern
The game between Real Madrid and Bayern München will go down as one of the most intense in Champions League history, but it has also been tarnished by a fast decision by the referee and his assistant, which could have given Bayern a late, late equalizer.
Way into stoppage time, the moment of the evening came when Matthijs de Ligt seemed to equalize following an unconvincing clearance by Real Madrid, which saw the defender striking the ball into the back of the net. Nonetheless, assistant ref Tomasz Listkiewicz decided to raise his flag immediately, forcing ref Szymon Marciniak to call the offside position before De Ligt scored the equalizer.
Speaking after the end of the match, De Ligt spoke out and revealed the assistant ref's words following all the turmoil, admitting that the official apologized for his action. Read more…
Mbappe storms out of interview after being asked Real Madrid vs. Bayern question following PSG's UCL exit
PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe went viral on social media following PSG's UEFA Champions League exit as the French superstar stormed out of an interview after being asked a question regarding Wednesday's Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich showdown.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner delivered a disappointing performance against Dortmund in Tuesday's semifinal, with the Ligue 1 champions subsequently losing 1-0 at home (2-0 on aggregate) to the Bundesliga outfit to crash of this tournament.
But why did the 25-year-old storm out of his post-match interview? Kylian was asked a question by one journalist regarding the other UEFA Champions League semifinal, with that question being whether he would be rooting for Bayern Munich or Real Madrid to face Dortmund in the final.
Mbappe was unimpressed by the question, simply shrugging his shoulders in reply before promptly leaving the interview. Read more…
Leverkusen beat Roma to make Europa League final and extend unbeaten run
Bayer Leverkusen are through to the Europa League final 4-2 on aggregate after a stoppage-time goal from Josip Stanisic snatched a 2-2 draw at home on Thursday, extending their unbeaten run to a record 49 games.
Stanisic kept Leverkusen's stunning record of late goals alive by scoring on the counter in the seventh minute of added time, breaking Benfica's European unbeaten record dating back to 1965.
"We had chances to score goals early and didn't -- but hey we will in Dublin," Leverkusen boss Alonso told RTL. Read more…
Premier League Player of the Season nominees revealed as two star players are shockingly snubbed
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No club had more than two nominations, with the Premier League's two best teams Arsenal and Manchester City getting two inclusions each. They were Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice for the league leaders and Phil Foden and Erling Haaland for the reigning champions.
Meanwhile, Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, who were going toe-to-toe with Haaland in the Golden Boot race until recently, also got the nod while Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Newcastle sensation Alexander Isak completed the list.
However, fans were left shocked over two omissions. There was no room on this list for Manchester City's Rodri, regarded by many as the best defensive midfielder – or midfielder, in general – in the world, and Arsenal's top scorer Bukayo Saka. Read more…
FIFA claim Club World Cup schedule "harmonious" as legal threat looms
Warned of legal action over their plans for the 2025 Club World Cup, FIFA said Thursday they would guarantee player welfare in a harmonious schedule.
FIFA is however facing the threat of legal action from domestic leagues and player unions if there is no rescheduling of the 2025 Club World Cup.
A letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, seen by AFP, claims the sport's worldwide schedule is now "beyond saturation". Read more…
American 14-year-old talent signs MLS pro deal with Man City awaiting
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Sullivan, an academy product, already plays for the Union's reserve team but the new deal will allow him to play in Major League Soccer and other competitions for the first team.
Sullivan, a United States Under-15 international, had attracted interest from a number of big-name foreign clubs.
Premier League clubs are not allowed to sign foreign players until they are 18 so Sullivan is expected to stay with Philadelphia until he reaches that age in September, 2027. Read more…
Other key headlines from world soccer
Atletico win appeal over racist abuse sanction
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Atletico were initially ordered to partially close their stadium for two La Liga matches following monkey chants heard by Spain international Williams at Atletico's Metropolitano stadium last month. Continue reading…
Beckham urges Man Utd flops to prove they are "motivated"
David Beckham has urged Manchester United's flops to prove they are motivated to play for the troubled club.
Former United star Beckham was in Manchester on Thursday to attend the premiere of a new documentary about the club's 1999 treble-winning side. Continue reading…