Over 14 million British viewers were captivated by the thrilling Women's World Cup final between England and Spain, which took place on August 20. The match was broadcast across both the BBC and ITV, with an impressive 12 million viewers tuning in to the BBC's coverage alone. This makes it the second-most viewed event of 2023 for the network, after the Coronation of King Charles III in May.
In addition to television viewing figures, there was also a significant digital audience for this highly anticipated clash. The BBC reported a total of 3.9 million streams on their iPlayer and Sport platforms during the game. These streaming numbers highlight how fans are increasingly consuming sports content online.
The final saw Spain emerge as victors with a narrow 1-0 win over England. Despite falling short on television audiences compared to their competitors at BBC, ITV still drew in an average of 2.46 million viewers during their simultaneous broadcast.
Looking beyond the final, it is clear that women's football is gaining traction among fans worldwide as evidenced by increased digital viewership numbers throughout the tournament held in Australia and New Zealand. According to BBC reports, they recorded an astounding total of 25.7 million streams across their iPlayer platform and Sport website/app during that tournament - marking a remarkable increase of about 75% from previous streaming records set during the Women's World Cup back in 2019.
Meanwhile, over in Spain, the estimated average audience size reached approximately 5.6 individuals who tuned in to watch what turned out to be another thrilling encounter full of surprises. And RTVE emerged victorious here too - capturing nearly two-thirds share overall.
Comparing these figures against other major sporting events from recent months offers some interesting insights into public preferences. Most notably, Carlos Alvarez’s sensational Wimbledon victory over Novak Djokovic drew a peak of 11.3 million viewers, which was surpassed by the Women's World Cup final.
This surge in interest for women's football shows that the sport has come a long way in terms of popularity and recognition. With more people than ever tuning in to watch these matches unfold, it is clear that women's football has firmly established itself as a force to be reckoned with on both traditional broadcast platforms and through digital streaming services.
Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport, said:
“We’re proud to be long-term partners for women’s football, which continues its fantastic upward trajectory.”
As fans eagerly await the next instalment of international women's football, it will be interesting to see how viewing figures continue to grow as well as what new records may be set in future tournaments.
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