New Delhi: The Sunday-night high-octane clash between Italy and England in UEFA Euro 2020 was watched by over 31 million viewers in the United Kingdom, setting a record for the highest viewership ratings in British broadcasting history.
According to the BARB figures shared by overnights. tv, an average of 29.85 million watched the entire match which was broadcast on both BBC and ITV. The viewership peaked at 30.95 million during the extra time, when both the teams were trying hard to up their score from 1-1 at London's Wembley Stadium.
The game went down to the wire and ended with England facing a painful penalty shootout exit, dashing hopes of millions of English fans who were hoping to see the trophy come home for the first time since 1966. However, Italy reigned over the game and clinched the trophy continuing its 34-match winning streak in the game.
According to BBC, the combined viewership on both BBC One and ITV made the final match one of the biggest TV events in the UK since the funeral of princess Diana in 1997.
Goodness me. 25 million of you elected to watch the game with us on @BBCOne last night…as well as just under 6 million on @BBCiPlayer. Astounding numbers. Thanks for choosing us.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 12, 2021
In Italy, the game was broadcast on Radiotelevisione italiana (Rai), the national public broadcasting company of Italy. According to Rai, throughout the match an average of 18 million people tuned in, representing a 73.7 per cent market share, reported Variety.
In India, the official broadcaster Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) made the most of the football fever that has swept the country over the last few weeks. While the latest viewership numbers are yet to come in, the previous data showed that the 19 June match between Portugal vs Germany was among the most-watched matches in the tournament. The defending champion Portugal led by Cristiano Ronaldo was defeated by 4-2 in the match in the group stage.
