The article examines how political controversy, strong fan interest, and the World Cup’s summer schedule contributed to expectations of record US television viewership for the match against Belgium.

Key Takeaways:

• Controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s postponed suspension and President Donald Trump’s call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino increased attention ahead of the match.
• Mitchell identified the tournament’s shift from a winter schedule in Qatar to a summer schedule as a major factor driving US viewership.
• With the NFL, NBA, and NHL out of season, the World Cup faced less competition for sports fans’ attention beyond Major League Baseball.

“The seasonal shift [Northern Hemisphere summer vs. winter four years ago, when Qatar hosted] is one of the single biggest drivers behind these staggering viewership numbers. Mostly undivided sports-viewing attention since (except for MLB) more sports fans are available in the summer without NFL, NBA, NHL, etc," said Professor Mitchell. 

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