TV Talk: FIFA World Cup ratings rise; Hunter out at SNP

Early ratings for coverage of the FIFA World Cup games on Fox, Fox One and Tubi are strong, likely due to the event taking place in America.

As expected, matches featuring the American team rated best so far.

The June 12 game that pitted the U.S. against Paraguay averaged 15.9 million viewers and reached a peak of 18.8 million viewers between 10:45 and 11 p.m. Viewership was up 106 percent compared to America’s first match against Wales in 2022, per Fox Sports, and it was the most-watched U.S. Men’s National Team FIFA World Cup English-language telecast in U.S. history.

The June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa match drew 7.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched FIFA Men’s World Cup opening match in English-language U.S. history. Ratings for the opening match were up 150% compared to Qatar vs. Ecuador on FS1 in November 2022, which drew 2.8 million viewers.

For the week of June 8-14, 19 of the Top 25 live televised sporting events were World Cup matches, per Nielsen. While the Top 3 spots on the sports ratings chart were NBA finals games, World Cup dominated the rest of the chart, including USA vs. Paraguay at No. 4. The only other non-World Cup sporting events in the Top 25 were hockey’s Stanley Cup games at No. 12, 14 and 17.

Among all broadcast, cable and live streaming programs, FIFA World Cup game coverage took nine of the Top 25 slots.

Local ratings mirror national ratings, with more than three times as many viewers watching the June 12 American match (109,305 local viewers) compared to the June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa game (31,705 local viewers).

This week, CNN announced the debut of “flashdoc” “Chasing Soccer Glory: America’s Long Game,” an exploration of the United States’ decades-long pursuit of international success. Already streaming at CNN.com/Watch and on the CNN app for streaming subscribers, the program will air on linear CNN at 8 p.m. June 21.

Hunter out at SNP

SportsNet Pittsburgh let go of Penguins sideline reporter Hailey Hunter after three seasons.

“We are grateful for all of Hailey’s contributions during her time at SportsNet Pittsburgh. We wish her the very best in her future endeavors,” reads a statement provided by SportsNet Pittsburgh. “We will soon begin a nationwide search for a rinkside reporter for our Penguins coverage.”

Hunter said she wasn’t given a concrete reason for the change.

“Unfortunately, I was told the Penguins have decided that they simply wanted to move in a different direction with the role,” she wrote in response to a request for comment. “I really wasn’t given any details, but I understand that’s the business we are in.”

Hunter said she “absolutely loved my time with SportsNet Pittsburgh. The network truly felt like family and everyone there will always be great friends of mine. I’ll be having a get-together with many of the people I worked with next week, from cameramen to producers to executives from our network, the Penguins org, and the Pirates org. Sounds like about 60 people are coming, which is so kind, but also speaks to how close friends I became with everyone. We are all pretty shocked, but everyone’s kindness and support has truly meant the world to me.”

Hunter joined SNP as rinkside reporter for the Penguins’ 2023-24 season. Prior to that, she covered golf for Golf Channel and PGA Tour Entertainment and worked as a team reporter and host for the New York Islanders during the 2021-22 season. Hunter grew up in Muskegon, Mich., and her father, Tim Hrynewich, played 55 games for the Penguins between 1982 and 1984.

Groce back on ‘Jeopardy!’

Point Breeze resident Victoria Groce returns to ABC’s “Jeopardy! Masters” for its fourth edition, premiering at 8 p.m. Aug. 25. She won “Jeopardy Masters!” 2024.

Groce will compete for the $500,000 grand prize against reigning “Jeopardy! Masters” champion Yogesh Raut and returning finalist Juveria Zaheer as well as 2026 “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions winner Paolo Pasco and 2026 “Jeopardy!” Invitational Tournament winner Andrew He and runner-up Long Nguyen.

Late-night update

Who’s benefitting most in the ratings following the end of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”? It’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” per Puck.news, with a notation that NBA playoff lead-ins also helped.

Meanwhile, if you saw the final “Late Show,” you’ll recall Colbert tried to stick CBS with a big bill by playing Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” theme without prior permission. Tuesday Lee Mendelson Film Productions, owner and steward of Guaraldi’s television and film song catalog, announced a licensing agreement with CBS for that prior use. The proceeds from the CBS agreement – an amount was not disclosed — will be donated to World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit organization that provides meals during crises. “The Late Show” donated $2.5 million to WCK on its penultimate episode.

Returning/canceled

Disney+ will debut the fourth and final season of “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” on July 29, followed later this year by a stop-motion holiday special, “A Proud Family Wizmas.”

Netflix canceled “The Boroughs” after a single season.

Channel surfing

When “The Pitt” returns for its third season in January, student doc Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez) will no longer work in the ER but instead appear in the emergency department as part of her psychiatry rotation. … Last week, Disney+ and Hulu began streaming 10 new episodes of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” including an episode featuring Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward alongside actor Brian Austin Green and actress Andrea Savage. Another episode features Swissvale native Billy Gardell competing against actors Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Kelly McCreary. … Fox Corp. will buy Roku in a $22 billion deal. … “Heartstopper Forever,” the concluding film to Netflix’s “Heartstopper” series, will stream July 17 on Netflix. … Last week, the Television Critics Association announced its 2026 nominees for the annual TCA Awards, with “Heated Rivalry,” “Industry” and “Widow’s Bay” receiving five nominations each; “Hacks,” “The Pitt” and “Pluribus” got four nominations each. For the full list of nominees, visit https://l1nk.dev/safuul7.