Television isn't the most soccer-friendly source in America, but there's nothing that can't be rescued from the depths of the Internet.
By Kim DeRaedt
Most soccer fans would confess their guilt of spending hours on the Internet viewing only the most pertinent and informative content of course. But just what deep dark corners do soccer enthusiasts crawl to when they open their Internet browsers?
What to watch for: Notice ESPN Soccernet’s dominance in both the USA and New Zealand’s market share. UEFA tops Major League Soccer in USA popularity. There is one team on the USA’s list, an English club nonetheless. Meanwhile, five teams made the British ranking. New Zealand is divided into seven football federations: Auckland and United Soccer 1 are two of these. There is little on New Zealand’s list that links to a specific European league, club, or competition.
Top 10 hits, a hemispheric snapshot
USA
1. ESPN Soccernet, 15.93%
2. Fox Sports Soccer, 7.50%
3. Soccer.com, 5.66%
4. Goal.com, 5.04%
5. UEFA.com, 3.77&
6. Major League Soccer, 3.59%
7. Manchester United, 3.48%
8. Yahoo Sports World Soccer, 3.44%
9. Big Soccer, 2.96%
10. FIFA.com, 2.89%
British
1. Liverpool FC, 5.04%
2. Manchester United, 4.29%
3. TEAMtalk Football, 3.34%
4. FootyMad.com, 2.35%
5. Arsenal FC, 2.10%
6. Footy Mad, 1.71%
7. Full Time, 1.70%
8. Leeds United, 1.65%
9. Premier League, 1.49%
10. Rangers, 1.27%
New Zealand
1. FIFA.com, 15.24%
2. ESPN Soccernet, 12.18%
3. Sina 2010 World Cup South Africa, 5.77%
4. Goal.com, 4.89%
5. QQ 2010 World Cup South Africa, 3.45%
6. Auckland Football Federation—Draws and Fixtures, 3.32%
7. United Soccer 1, 2.08%
8. Wellington Soccer Association, 2.08%
9. Auckland Football Federation, 1.69%
10. Football365.com, 1.65%
The proof lies in the facts:
USA: http://www.epltalk.com/top-10-most-visited-soccer-websites/1948
British: http://www.epltalk.com/top-10-football-websites/1856
New Zealand: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:SVhQjcqmeeYJ:www.iab.org.nz/images/uploads/Hitwise%2520Industry%2520Report%2520for%2520Sports%2520-%2520Soccer.pdf+top+10+soccer+websites+hitwise&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESinVGdKBXy2lI1BPfLnATuvfcm12-z2pykP1zR0vCIxxgeR2WmOMYUWg_hxEqXd3889B41d-767kORCBCXpMXKIWmuAB3X8ZbM7HkuqO0BkxLTNteu91owfINdYIN-gZh3sHM4E&sig=AHIEtbRAUqelPV-0FecIbbvzicBnzGVkfQ
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