News Focus
- England’s 4-2 win against Croatia draws a peak audience of 15.4 million on ITV
- The commercial broadcaster secures four of the five largest TV audiences in the opening week
- The BBC gambles on having first choice of matches during the knockout stages instead
- Scotland’s return to the tournament after 38 years attracts 2.8 million viewers despite a 2am kick-off
- ITV’s Brooklyn studio receives praise while the BBC faces criticism for its Salford base
ITV has taken the lead in the television ratings competition against the BBC during the first seven days of the World Cup 2026. Recent audience data from Barb, the official UK audience measurement body, shows that the commercial broadcaster claimed four out of the five largest viewing figures for the tournament so far.
The highest ratings came during England’s 4-2 victory against Croatia in Dallas. This match brought in a peak audience of 15.4 million people on ITV. The average viewership stood at more than 10 million. These numbers represent the biggest UK television audience of the year.
ITV also showed the second most-watched game of the opening round. The tournament opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa attracted a peak of 7.7 million viewers. The match average stood at 6.6 million. The broadcaster also secured strong figures for Spain versus Cape Verde and the Netherlands against Japan, with peaks of 6.1 million and 6 million respectively.
The BBC’s best performance came with the France versus Senegal match on Tuesday. This game achieved a peak of 6.7 million viewers on television. However, when people watching on laptops and mobile phones are included, this figure rose to 7.6 million. The corporation also saw peaks of 6.7 million for Portugal against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 6.5 million for Belgium versus Egypt when digital viewers are counted.
The viewing figures include people watching on main channels and through streaming services on televisions. They do not normally include those watching on computers or phones.
Traditionally, the BBC attracts larger audiences than ITV for live sport. The corporation is likely to win the ratings battle when both channels show the World Cup final next month. ITV’s early success comes from having first choice of matches during the opening week.
The BBC took a risk before the tournament started. The corporation chose to have more first-pick matches during the knockout stages. This means the BBC will choose first from the last 32, last 16 and semi-final fixtures. The BBC will also show England’s second group game against Ghana on Tuesday.
Last weekend, the BBC showed Scotland’s first World Cup match in 38 years. Their game against Haiti kicked off at 2am UK time but still attracted a peak audience of 2.8 million. This represented 78 per cent of all UK television viewers at that time. In Scotland, the share rose to 92 per cent.
ITV’s biggest matches mostly come early in the tournament. The channel will also show England’s third group game against Panama. If England reach the quarter-finals, ITV will broadcast that match too. This could be a Saturday night clash against Brazil.
Critics have praised ITV’s World Cup coverage this year. The broadcaster’s studio in Brooklyn offers stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Meanwhile, people have criticised the BBC for presenting from its Salford studios. The BBC says it has good financial reasons for this decision.
This week, the BBC’s new director general, Matt Brittan, started announcing major budget cuts. The corporation plans to save £500 million over three years. These savings could lead to 2,000 job losses.
The BBC has faced criticism for not showing a daily highlights programme on television. However, the corporation’s digital highlights are very popular. Fans have streamed these 11.6 million times on BBC iPlayer this week. This is an increase of 197 per cent compared to the first week of Euro 2024.