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USA vs. Paraguay Copa America match smashes TV viewing record

Big numbers, Jerry! Big!

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

A lot of people watched the United States men's national team advance to the quarterfinals of the Copa America Centenario.

According to Nielsen Media Research, 2.061 million viewers watched the U.S. defeat Paraguay, 1-0 in their final group play match.

It's the most-watched men's soccer match in network history, topping the previous record holder: the 4-0 win over Costa Rica that drew 1.6 million viewers.

The Copa America Centenario has delivered three of the four biggest men's soccer audiences in FOX Sports 1 history, with the 2015 CONCACAF Cup in third and the opening 2-0 loss to Colombia fourth.

It's not shocking that U.S men's national team is bringing big numbers. People love the national teams and enjoy supporting America, even if they're the most casual of casual fans. This is a big tournament with massive opponents so people are interested in seeing the United States take on big names from South America.

FOX has done a great job marketing the tournament. Their broadcasts are incredibly divisive, creating a full spectrum of opinions about their quality, but high viewing numbers tend to wash away any complaints one may have.

I'm not an expert on television ratings (or anything), but it will be interesting to see if Thursday night's quarterfinal match against Ecuador continues the streak of record breaking broadcasts. The game is on at a later hour (due to it being played in Seattle) on a weekday and would be going up against a hypothetical Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Personally, it would be a two screen night for me. If you are someone who roots for big viewing numbers due to the increased attention and money they bring for U.S. Soccer, I suppose you'll be rooting for the Golden State Warriors to win tonight (as if you weren't already).

(Don't get me started on LeBron James.)

Will Thursday's Copa America quarterfinal match set another viewing record?