20 million watched England World Cup victory against Sweden
Written by News on 09/07/2018
Nearly 20 million TV viewers watched England beat Sweden to get to the World Cup semi-finals.
As the match ended on Saturday a peak of 19.9 million tuned in to watch the England side reach their furthest stage in the World Cup since 1990.
An average of 15.8 million watched the entire match, which saw England win 2-0, BBC viewing figures revealed.
And it was the most viewed live programme on the BBC’s online iPlayer, with 3.8 million watching it via the app or online.
But that meant nearly four million people were left disappointed after iPlayer crashed with just three minutes left of the game.
The viewing figures were lower than the round of 16 game when 23.6 million watched England secure a nail-biting penalty shootout win over Colombia.
However, Saturday’s quarter-final was most likely watched by many more than recorded as pubs across the country were packed with fans.
Former England striker Gary Lineker, who headed up the BBC coverage, said: “Crikey. Humongous figures again for England.
“Nearly 20 million on a hot sunny afternoon is incredible, especially given how many watched in pubs, communal gatherings etc…that don’t register.
“And that share must be close to a record. Football’s coming to homes everywhere.”
England’s victory on Saturday means the Three Lions will now play Croatia in the semi-final in Moscow on Wednesday night.
(c) Sky News 2018: 20 million watched England World Cup victory against Sweden
