Nearly three months into 2024, ITV claims crown for most watched TV event of the year so far, as its sports coverage drives streaming increases.
- Biggest television audience of the year watches ITV’s coverage of Manchester United’s Cup win over Liverpool
- 8.6 million watch Manchester United beat Liverpool.
ITV’s coverage of Manchester United v Liverpool also drew the biggest audience for an FA Cup Quarter-final since 2018.
A peak of 8.6 million tuned into the climax of ITV’s live, free-to-air coverage of Manchester United’s win against Liverpool at the weekend.
The audience who watched United win a dramatic 4-3 victory over their rivals ended just over a week of major sport events on ITV, which began the previous Saturday with a peak of 6.6 million viewers watching England’s sensational late win against Ireland in the most watched game of the Six Nations tournament.
In third place over the last week, ITV’s coverage of the Cheltenham Festival, which, on its final day on Friday, drew it best overall audience for the full day’s show since 2021. Over one million viewers tuned in or streamed. It was the horse racing festival’s highest TV audience since 2021.
Streaming records
On ITVX, the Cheltenham Festival was streamed 3.6 million times – a 13% increase on last year – and ITV’s coverage of the Six Nations was streamed 16.6m times across the tournament, which was up by three million (23%) on 2023.
ITV’s recent sporting success follows a good start to the year for ITV’s drama output, with the broadcaster bucking an industry wide trend of audience decline.
Marc Thornham