In the first week of the World Cup, ITV is outperforming the BBC in UK television ratings. Viewing data from Barb indicates that the commercial broadcaster achieved four of the five highest viewing figures, with England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia leading the pack.
The match held in Dallas drew a peak audience of 15.4 million on ITV and averaged over 10 million viewers, marking the highest television ratings in the UK for the year.
ITV also secured the second-highest ratings during the initial group matches, as the opening game between Mexico and South Africa attracted a peak audience of 7.7 million and an average of 6.6 million. The BBC’s coverage of the France versus Senegal match on Tuesday garnered a peak audience of 6.7 million, with an average of 5.9 million viewers.
Completing the top five for ITV were the matches Spain against Cape Verde and the Netherlands versus Japan, with peak viewing figures of 6.1 million and 6 million, respectively.
The Barb viewing statistics account for audiences on main channels and streaming services via television, excluding those who watch on laptops or mobile devices. When incorporating viewers who streamed the BBC coverage on these devices, the peak audience for France versus Senegal rose to 7.6 million. Additionally, the BBC experienced peak audiences of 6.7 million and 6.5 million for the matches between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Belgium versus Egypt.
Historically, the BBC tends to secure higher viewing figures for live sports compared to ITV and is expected to attract a larger audience during the World Cup final next month. ITV’s success in the opening week can be attributed to its advantageous selection of initial match broadcasts.
The BBC made a strategic decision in pre-tournament discussions with ITV, opting for more first-choice matches during the knockout phases. It will have priority in fixtures for the last 32, last 16, and semi-finals, along with England’s second group match against Ghana on Tuesday.
Additionally, the BBC broadcast Scotland’s first World Cup match in 38 years against Haiti last weekend, which drew a peak audience of 2.8 million despite a 2am UK kick-off. At that time, 78% of the UK television audience was tuned into BBC One, with that figure rising to 92% in Scotland.
While many of ITV’s largest matches are concentrated at the tournament’s start, it will also feature England’s third group game against Panama and any potential England quarter-final, which could see a clash with Brazil on a Saturday night.
ITV’s World Cup coverage has received positive critical feedback, particularly for its impressive studio located in Brooklyn, offering stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Conversely, the BBC has faced criticism for operating its presentation from studios in Salford, albeit for sound financial reasons.
This week, the BBC’s new director general, Matt Brittan, initiated announcements regarding significant efficiency measures, which could result in the loss of up to 2,000 jobs as the organization aims to reduce its budget by £500 million over the next three years.
Despite criticism for not providing a daily highlights program on television, the BBC’s digital highlights have gained popularity, amassing 11.6 million streams on the BBC iPlayer this week, reflecting a 197% increase compared to the first week of Euro 2024.
