More people watched the Women's World Cup final than the 2018 men's final
The U.S. Women's National Team had more than one victory after beating Netherlands 2-0 on Sunday and becoming the 2019 World Cup champions. According to Fox Sports, the American audience on English-language television for the Women's World Cup final was 20 percent higher than the 2018 men's final.
The U.S. women's team has won four world titles — more than any women's soccer team in the world. Their success stands in stark contrast to the U.S. Men's National Team, which failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, leaving American fans without a team to cheer on during the tournament.
Fox Sports also announced 1% audience growth over 2015 for the entirety of the Women's World Cup. This set the global record for TV viewership up 19% from the 2011 tournament.
The women's team is currently suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination, with a focus on the pay gap between the men's and women's teams. The high ratings in the tournament has been made for their case for equal pay.
Molly Levinson, spokeswoman for the women's players who filed the lawsuit, said in a statement after the victory: "These athletes generate more revenue and garner higher TV ratings but get paid less simply because they are women. It is time for the Federation to correct this disparity once and for all."
U.S. Soccer has said that the women are paid less because their games typically bring in less revenue and lower ratings. But according to the federation's own financial reports, the women's team generated more total revenue than the men's in the three years after the women's 2015 World Cup victory.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the ratings figures reflect English-language television.
