Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Close dialogue1/1 Next image Previous image Toggle caption World Cup 2026 Audience of 9.1 million watch 2am BST kick-off live and on iPlayer with 48m requests for digital content on Monday England’s triumph over Mexico in the World Cup attracted a peak live audience of 9.1 million on BBC One and BBC iPlayer despite kicking off at 2am BST – the biggest television audience ever for a live UK broadcast at that hour. The dramatic 3-2 win drove the biggest day ever recorded for BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app and for BBC Sport’s social video views, the broadcaster said. The round-of-16 victory, in which Jude Bellingham scored twice and Harry Kane fired home a penalty, also delivered record-breaking audiences across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with supporters staying up into the early hours or catching up on the drama later that morning. Despite the game kicking off an hour later than scheduled, at 2am BST, the BBC said England’s victory attracted a peak live audience of 9.1 million on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with an average audience of 7.8 million.
Published: July 7, 2026 1:48 pm
Source: The Guardian — Read original