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ESPN doesn’t need the U.S. team or even a close match to keep World Cup ratings high. Tuesday’s Brazil-Germany semifinal, which saw the host country blown out of the water with an unheard of 7-1 loss, fetched more than 6.6 million viewers.
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The game, which aired at 5:30 p.m. ET, was the most-watched FIFA World Cup semifinal in U.S. TV history — and the highest-rated with a 4.2. That also makes it the biggest non-U.S. team game in World Cup history for ESPN or ESPN2, edging past last week’s Mexico-Netherlands game.
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Viewership peaked early, before it spiraled out of control in Germany’s favor, with an average 7.5 million viewers in the first half-hour.
ABC will air the World Cup Final on Sunday, when Germany faces either the Netherlands or Argentina.
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