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The 2019 Rugby World Cup final became the most-watched event on British TV this year as a peak audience of 12.8 million tuned into South Africa’s 32-12 victory over England on 2nd November.
England’s defeat, which was aired by UK commercial network ITV from 9am (GMT), drew 79 per cent of the domestic TV viewing audience at its height, while also attracting an average 8.9 million viewers throughout the broadcast.
The rugby union showpiece moves ahead of England’s semi-final defeat to the US in the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup, which drew an 11.8 million peak audience for the BBC, as this year’s biggest TV event in the UK.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup final represents the UK’s largest TV audience for a rugby match since ITV’s coverage of the 2007 final, which also saw England fall at the final hurdle against the Springboks. The match drew close to 17 million UK viewers at its peak, and was also the country’s most-watched TV event for that year.
This year’s final is also the most-viewed sporting event on British TV since the 2018 Fifa World Cup, with the BBC’s coverage of England’s semi-final defeat to Croatia drawing a peak 26.5 million viewers for the public-service broadcaster.
In comparison, ITV’s free-to-air (FTA) Rugby World Cup final coverage came in ahead of England’s Cricket World Cup final triumph on 14th July, which drew a total peak audience of 8.3 million during a combined broadcast between UK pay-TV broadcaster Sky and commercial broadcaster Channel 4.
However, that came on a busy day in the British sporting calendar with an estimated 9 million tuning for the final of the Wimbledon men’s singles and commercial network Channel 4 recording a peak audience of 2.8 million for its Formula One British Grand Prix coverage.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup final became the most-watched event on British TV this year as a peak audience of 12.8 million tuned into South Africa’s 32-12 victory over England on 2nd November.
England’s defeat, which was aired by UK commercial network ITV from 9am (GMT), drew 79 per cent of the domestic TV viewing audience at its height, while also attracting an average 8.9 million viewers throughout the broadcast.
The rugby union showpiece moves ahead of England’s semi-final defeat to the US in the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup, which drew an 11.8 million peak audience for the BBC, as this year’s biggest TV event in the UK.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup final represents the UK’s largest TV audience for a rugby match since ITV’s coverage of the 2007 final, which also saw England fall at the final hurdle against the Springboks. The match drew close to 17 million UK viewers at its peak, and was also the country’s most-watched TV event for that year.
This year’s final is also the most-viewed sporting event on British TV since the 2018 Fifa World Cup, with the BBC’s coverage of England’s semi-final defeat to Croatia drawing a peak 26.5 million viewers for the public-service broadcaster.
In comparison, ITV’s free-to-air (FTA) Rugby World Cup final coverage came in ahead of England’s Cricket World Cup final triumph on 14th July, which drew a total peak audience of 8.3 million during a combined broadcast between UK pay-TV broadcaster Sky and commercial broadcaster Channel 4.
However, that came on a busy day in the British sporting calendar with an estimated 9 million tuning for the final of the Wimbledon men’s singles and commercial network Channel 4 recording a peak audience of 2.8 million for its Formula One British Grand Prix coverage.
