sports
ITV wins World Cup ratings battle with BBC in tournament’s first week
England v Croatia attracted year’s highest UK TV figures
TL;DR
- ITV captured four of the five highest TV audiences during the World Cup's first week.
- England's 4-2 win over Croatia on ITV achieved a peak audience of 15.4 million, the highest of the year.
- The BBC's live coverage of France v Senegal had a peak audience of 6.7 million, with additional viewers on streaming services.
- The BBC opted for more first-pick games in the knockout stages, potentially boosting its later viewership.
- ITV's studio in Brooklyn received critical acclaim, while the BBC's Salford studio faced criticism.
- The BBC director general announced efficiency savings that may result in up to 2,000 job losses.
- BBC's digital highlights are popular, with 11.6 million streams on BBC iPlayer.