World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont describes record USA broadcast audiences for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco as “a major endorsement of a sport that is rapidly converting new fans” in one of the world’s most competitive sports markets.
Host broadcaster NBC confirmed today that the three‑day tournament was the most‑watched live rugby cast in the USA on record. Coverage reached nine million viewers across five telecasts, with finals day coverage averaging 1.365 million viewers.
The strong audiences reflect a sport that continues to grow across the USA. More than 100,000 fans packed into AT&T Park to see the first rugby event in the iconic baseball stadium, playing numbers have topped one million, while a recent Nielsen Sports study confirmed that there are 11 million avid fans of rugby in the USA (33 million casual and avid fans).
[Source: WorldRugby.org]
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