BBC coverage of Euro 2012 Spanish victory trumps ITV1

According to unofficial viewing figures, while the game was being played between 7.45pm and 9.30pm an average of 12.3 million viewers watched either BBC One or BBC One HD. The BBC coverage peaked at 13.4 million viewers.

Overall, the BBC’s coverage fronted by Gary Lineker pulled in an average audience of 10.2 million viewers, a 41.3% share, between 7pm and 10.15pm on BBC One and BBC One HD.

In comparison, as the game was being played between 7.45pm and 9.30pm ITV1 and ITV1 HD had an average of 2.0 million viewers. ITV’s peak audience during the game was 2.3 million viewers, an 8% share, at 8.55pm.

The ITV show, presented by Adrian Chiles, had an average audience of 1.7 million viewers across ITV1 and ITV1 HD, a 6.8% share, between 7pm and 10.15pm. An additional average of 37,800 watched ITV’s show on ITV1 +1.

The biggest audience during the tournament occurred during England's exit in the quarter finals when a peak of 23.3 million watched BBC One.

According to figures from ITV across the Euro 2012 tournament the average audience viewing its coverage was 6.2 million viewers, up from 4.9 million during the World Cup 2010 and 4.6 million during Euro 2008.

BBC Two’s broadcast of the film ‘The Boys are Back’ starring Clive Owen got an average audience of 1.2 million viewers, a 4.5% share, on BBC Two and BBC HD between 8pm and 9.45pm.

Channel 4 showed the Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler film ‘The Ugly Truth’ between 9pm and 10.45pm and it got an average audience of 1.0 million viewers, a 4.4% share, across it standard and high definition channels. An additional 235,800 watched the film on Channel 4 +1.

Channel 5’s ‘Big Brother’ had an average audience of 1.1 million viewers, a 4% share, between 9pm and 10pm across it standard and high definition channel. An additional 181,800 watched ‘Big Brother’ on Channel 5 +1.

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