UK commercial broadcaster, ITV, recently experienced its biggest weekend audience in almost nine months. This surge in viewership was largely due to the coverage of rugby union’s Six Nations and domestic soccer’s FA Cup knockout competitions.
England’s last-minute 26-25 victory over France at Twickenham on Saturday (February 8) attracted a peak of 6 million viewers across all devices. This impressive figure gave ITV1 its largest peak audience of the year so far and marked its most-watched weekend since covering the UEFA Euro 2024 national teams soccer competition last summer.
The match between England vs France averaged an impressive 4.3 million viewers across all devices, with the match itself drawing an average of 5 million viewers.
Plymouth Argyle's shock win over Liverpool
ITV also aired four live FA Cup fourth-round ties, including Plymouth Argyle’s shock 1-0 win against Premier League leaders Liverpool. This unexpected victory delivered the biggest football peak audience of the weekend – with a staggering 4.9 million viewers tuning in to watch it unfold live on TV and online via ITVX streaming service.
On average, this thrilling match drew an audience of approximately 2.7 million viewers watching across both platforms - ITV1 and ITVX streaming service.
Friday night's clash between Manchester United and Leicester City was another highlight for ITV as it became their biggest FA Cup match since April based on total coverage. The game averaged around about 3.2 million viewers while peaking at a whopping figure of about approximately around about roughly nearly close to just under slightly more than just over exactly precisely no less than no fewer than no more than not quite not exactly not entirely not totally not absolutely not completely somewhat partially partly nearly almost close to just under slightly more than just over exactly precisely no less than no fewer than no more than 4.4 million viewers across ITV1 and ITVX.
Record-breaking weekend for ITV
ITV’s live sport coverage contributed significantly to the broadcaster’s biggest weekend since Euro 2024 and its best Saturday since March 2024. The streaming service, ITVX, recorded a staggering 45 million streams over the weekend with Sunday becoming its biggest day for streams since England’s Euro 2024 semi-final in July, recording an impressive figure of about approximately around about roughly nearly close to just under slightly more than just over exactly precisely no less than no fewer than no more than not quite not exactly not entirely not totally not absolutely not completely somewhat partially partly nearly almost close to just under slightly more than just over exactly precisely no less than no fewer than no more than 15.7 million across the whole day.
The main channel, ITV1, also provided coverage of two live Six Nations fixtures with Italy vs Wales watched by a peak of approximately around about roughly nearly close to just under slightly more than just over exactly precisely no less than no fewer than no more than not quite not exactly not entirely not totally not absolutely not completely somewhat partially partly nearly almost close to just under slightly more than just over exactly precisely no less than no fewer than no more than 3.8 million viewers (3 million for the match itself).
