NEW YORK -- David Beckham's brief appearance in his first
game with the Los Angeles Galaxy was enough to draw a record ESPN
audience for a game involving a Major League Soccer team.
Saturday night's exhibition match between the Galaxy and Chelsea
on ESPN earned a 1.0 rating and was watched by about 1,468,000
people. MLS' debut game between D.C. United and the San Jose Clash
in 1996 also drew a 1.0 rating. It was watched by about 1,092,000
people.
Beckham, hobbled by an ankle injury, played the final 12 minutes
plus four minutes of stoppage time in the Galaxy's 1-0 loss.
The rating means that approximately 1 percent of homes with ESPN
tuned in to the game.
