England may have lost out in a 12-32 defeat to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday, but ITV will be counting themselves winners after their exclusive UK coverage of the match between 8:50am and 12:15pm predictably trounced competitors, pulling in over two-thirds of those watching TV during that period.

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While Saturday morning may not be the most competitive time of the week, an average audience of 8.9 million and a massive peak of 12.8m demonstrated just how much England's progress to the final had captured the interest of the nation.

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Sixty-seven per cent of those watching TV at that time chose the early broadcast from the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, with 79 per cent tuning in at its height for what ITV say was the most watched TV moment on any channel so far this year, and the biggest audience for a rugby match since the 2007 World Cup Final in which England suffered a slightly narrower defeat, also at the hands of South Africa.

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Paul JonesExecutive Editor, RadioTimes.com

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Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

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An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

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Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

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