More than 30 million football fans are expected to tune in for tonight’s Euros final. This is a significant number that could rival the viewership of historic events such as the 1966 World Cup victory and Diana’s wedding. A well-placed insider shared with the Sunday Express that while the actual number of viewers may be even higher due to people watching in pubs and other venues, a combined viewership of around 30 million on BBC and ITV would be considered historic and rank among the all-time top 10 most-watched broadcasts.
The top five most-watched shows in UK history include the 1966 World Cup final, Diana’s funeral, a Royal Family documentary from 1969, the Euro final between Italy and England, and the Apollo 13 splashdown. However, some sources are more optimistic about tonight’s viewership, with suggestions that even members of the royal family will be tuning in. The insider predicted that the final against Italy during Covid times had around 30 million viewers, but with the current circumstances, they are expecting a higher number, possibly reaching 50 million when streaming figures are included.
For advertisers, tonight’s match is a payday regardless of the outcome, as a 30-second ad on ITV during the broadcast is reportedly costing £500,000. Both ITV and BBC will have live coverage of the historic match, starting at 8pm British summer time. The match will take place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, with the BBC studio based in the same city.
On BBC, Gary Lineker will lead the coverage from 6.30pm on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, with punditry from Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, and Rio Ferdinand. Viewers with 4k TVs can watch in HDR on iPlayer. On BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, radio presenter Mark Chapman will provide build-up to the match from 7pm, with live commentary starting at 8pm. The match can also be streamed on the BBC Sport website and app.
ITV’s coverage will begin at 6.30pm and run until 10:45pm, with Mark Pougatch hosting the broadcast and contributions from Gary Neville, Ian Wright, and Roy Keane. For those not interested in football, Channel 4 will be showing the Oscar-winning film Titanic starting at 6.15pm.
Overall, tonight’s Euros final is expected to draw a massive audience, making it one of the most-watched events in UK television history. With multiple viewing options available, fans and viewers alike will have the opportunity to enjoy the historic match and witness sports history in the making.