List of most watched television broadcasts in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, viewing figures – the number of viewers or households watching a television programme – have been recorded by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) since 1981. Prior to the board's formation, figures were conducted by different means, such as the BBC financing its own audience research, while the ITV companies sub-contracted theirs.

Most watched special events

The majority of special events attracting large audiences are often carried on more than one channel. The most watched special event programme of all time on a single channel in the UK is the 1973 wedding ceremony of Princess Anne, shown only on BBC One.

• Pre-1981 figures supplied by the British Film Institute (BFI)
• Post-1981 figures verified by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB)

Notes:

• At least two Muhammad Ali boxing matches were reported to have been watched by at least 26 million viewers in the United Kingdom: the Fight of the Century (Ali vs. Frazier) was reported to have been watched by 27.5 million British viewers in 1971,^[9] and The Rumble in the Jungle (Ali vs. Foreman) was reported to have been watched by 26 million viewers on BBC in 1974.^[10]
• The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (29 April 2011) received a total average audience of 26 million viewers. This is a combined figure aggregated from the ten different channels that broadcast the ceremony.^[11] The highest figures of these were 13.59 million on BBC, with an extra 4.02 million watching on ITV.^[11][12]
• Boris Johnson's address on 23 March 2020 was simulcast to 14.61 million viewers on BBC, 5.80 million on ITV, and more than 6 million on other channels.^[13][6]
• The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II (19 September 2022) was watched by an average audience of 18.5 million viewers on BBC channels.^{[8][clarification needed]}

Most watched programmes

The following is a list of most watched programmes, excluding sporting events and news coverage. The mid-1980s introduction of in-week repeat showings accounts for six of the top ten programmes. On this measure, the 1996 Christmas edition of Only Fools and Horses is, not including figures for repeats, the most-watched non-documentary programme of all time so far in the United Kingdom. It is the third most-watched single-showing programme of all time so far on a single channel, behind the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony and the wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips in 1973 (see below).

• Post-1981 figures verified by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB)
• Pre-1981 figures supplied by the British Film Institute

Key

•    † Numbers with this background and symbol are italicised to denote aggregated figure with repeat showing.

Most watched films

These are the most watched films by total number of viewers^[22] (dates are when the films were broadcast, not necessarily when they were produced).

Most watched broadcasts by year

This table details the most watched programmes on a single channel based on average viewing figures.

Notes

1. Based on 7-day viewing figures.
2. BFI lists a combined audience of 24.15 million on the BBC and ITV, but not the channels' separate ratings figures.^[1]
3. BFI lists a combined audience of 32.30 million on BBC One and ITV, but not the channels' separate ratings figures.^[1]
4. BFI lists a combined audience of 22.55 million on BBC One and ITV, but not the channels' separate ratings figures.^[1]
5. BFI lists a combined audience of 30.69 million on BBC One and ITV, but not the channels' separate ratings figures.^[1]
6. BFI lists a combined audience of 28.60 million on BBC One and ITV, but not the channels' separate ratings figures.^[4]
7. Unverified sources state that this figure was higher,^[9] and that an audience of 26 million watched the Ali vs Foreman fight of 30 October 1974.^[10] However these figures are not corroborated by the BFI.
8. Although there are no official figures for 1972, it is widely regarded that the year's edition of the Eurovision Song Contest was the most watched programme that year.^[23][24]
9. The X Factor final 2010 (12 December 2010) had an additional 1.156 million viewers on its sister high definition channel ITV HD, in addition to the 16.553 million views on the main standard definition channel ITV, giving the programme an aggregate audience of 17.71 million viewers.^[49]
10. The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (29 April 2011) "attracted a consolidated average audience of 26.0 [million] viewers across the ceremony from 11:00 am to 12:10 pm. This is an aggregated audience across 10 BARB reported channels that followed the events live."^[11] The highest figures for individual channels of these were 13.59 million on BBC One, followed by 4.02 million watching on ITV.
11. The 2014 FIFA World Cup final was broadcast by both BBC One and ITV. The highest figures were 14.96 million on BBC One, followed by 2.34 million on ITV.
12. The Euro 2020 final between England and Italy was watched by an estimated 31 million across both BBC and ITV.
13. King Charles III's Coronation was broadcast by both BBC One, Two, ITV, and Sky. Peak figures on BBC One were 13.4 million. The average figures were 11.9 million on BBC One, followed by 3.3 million on ITV.

References

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9. Green, Timothy (1972). The Universal Eye: The World of Television. Stein and Day. p. 86. ISBN 9780812814248. The annual Miss World Contest, which is often the single most popular program of the year — attracting half the British population — is a natural for BBC 1; so was the Ali-Frazier fight, which was watched by 27.5 million people.
10. "Daily Mirror". Longman Asia. 1 November 1974. ISBN 9789623599856. 'Ali is so tired he cannot raise his hands.' The next moment Ali raised his fists and Foreman was knocked out. The 26 million who saw the same fight with the same commentary on BBC-1...did not hear that line. 'Yes, we cut it out,' said a BBC man last night, 'to spare Harry Carpenter's blushes.'
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