The Euro 2020 final was the most-watched TV event since Princess Diana’s funeral, figures have shown.
An average of 29.85 million watched the climactic face-off between England and Italy on Sunday night (12 July), with the event broadcast on both ITV and BBC One.
A peak of 31 million was reached during the match’s climactic stage, which saw both teams – tied at one goal each – go down to the wire in penalties.
BBC One was the broadcaster of choice when it came to both channels carrying the match, with 25 million watching the BBC, and six million watching the game on ITV.
Overnight figures also revealed that the match was the second most-watched television event since the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997, which was watched by an average of 32.1 million viewers in the UK.
The 1966 World Cup Final was watched by 32.3 million viewers, and remains the country’s most-watched programme ever.
Last year’s televised announcement by Boris Johnson on the “road map” out of lockdown was the most-watched TV event in recent memory, drawing 27.5 million viewers.
The Euro 2020 final saw Italy defeat England after a tense battle between both teams.
A number of stars, including Adele, Nigella Lawson and Tom Felton, expressed their disappointment at the Euro result in the wake of the game, while overwhelmingly praising the England team’s efforts over the course of the tournament.
Good Morning Britain’s Richard Madeley was also among the media figures to condemn racist abuse sent to a number of Black players following the match.
