An estimated peak audience of over 24 million people in the United Kingdom watched England lose to Argentina in the football World Cup semi-final. With an average audience of 22.1 million viewers, it was the most-watched live television live television audience for a British broadcaster since 2021, when England played Italy in the final of the Euros, viewed by over 18 million.
The BBC reported that there were more than 2.8 million UHD streams of the match through the BBC iPlayer.
The semi-final was also streamed 12.6 million times across the BBC iPlayer, web site and sport app. It should be noted that these figures are not a measure of audience.
Across social media, BBC Sport attracted 75 million video views on the day of the match, with 2.25 billion over the tournament at that date.
While England supporters will have been disappointed to be knocked out by Argentina, the third-place playoff against France proved to be a ten-goal bonanza, with England scoring six goals including a hat trick.
When England met France in the last World Cup in 2022 it was watched by 15.4 million. The same year The Queen’s Funeral Service was viewed by 26.5 million across various channels.
The largest audience of 2025 was 14.9 million for an episode of The Celebrity Traitors.
Despite the decline in traditional television viewing, in an age of almost unlimited choice, major sporting events like the World Cup remain rare moments of shared national experience that public service broadcasters can still deliver.
As viewing becomes ever more fragmented and personal, the ability to bring millions of people together at the same moment becomes a rarer and more valuable public service.
Twenty years ago, large television audiences were relatively commonplace. Today they are exceptional. The fact that they have become rare arguably makes them more valuable.
For the BBC, it could not come at a more significant time. It needs to justify why it should continue to receive universal funding in a market full of subscription streaming services. Those services are highly successful at serving individual tastes, but they are not designed to serve the whole nation simultaneously.
When England plays in a major tournament, or during a royal event, a state occasion or major news story, the ability of the BBC to reach a massive audience demonstrates a characteristic that is increasingly unusual. National moments are therefore not an exception to the mission of the BBC. They are one of its clearest expressions.