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.

Rank Event Average audience (millions) Date Network(s)
1 1966 FIFA World Cup final: England v West Germany32.30[1]30 July 1966BBC/ITV
2 Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales32.10[2]6 September 1997BBC/ITV
3 Royal Family (documentary)30.69[1]21 June 1969 and 28 June 1969BBC/ITV
4 UEFA Euro 2020 final: Italy v England29.85[3]11 July 2021BBC/ITV
5 Apollo 13 Splashdown28.60[4]17 April 1970BBC/ITV
6 1970 FA Cup final replay: Chelsea v Leeds United28.49[4]29 April 1970BBC/ITV
7 Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer28.40[5]29 July 1981BBC One/ITV
8 Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips27.60[4]14 November 1973BBC
9 Prime minister Boris Johnson's statement announcing a national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic27.10[6]23 March 2020BBC/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5/Sky News/S4C
10 State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II 26.20[7][8] 19 September 2022 BBC/ITV/S4C/Sky News/Talk TV/GB News

Notes:

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).

Key

  •    † Numbers with this background and symbol are italicised to denote aggregated figure with repeat showing.
Rank Programme Synopsis Viewers
(millions)		 Date Network Ref
1 EastEnders Den Watts serves his wife Angie with divorce papers. 30.15 † 25 December 1986BBC1 [14]
2 EastEnders The aftermath of Den Watts' divorce to his wife Angie. 28.00 † 1 January 1987BBC1 [15]
3 Coronation Street Hilda Ogden leaves Weatherfield. 26.65 † 25 December 1987ITV (Granada) [15]
4 Live Aid 16-hour concert in Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium for Band Aid. 24.50 13 July 1985 BBC1 [16]
5 Only Fools and Horses "Time on Our Hands"24.3529 December 1996BBC1 [17]
6 EastEnders Arthur and Pauline Fowler urge their son Mark to tell his sister Michelle that he has HIV. 24.30 † 2 January 1992BBC1 [2]
7 Royal Variety Performance 1965 Featuring Dame Shirley Bassey, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and more.24.2014 November 1965ITV (ATV) [1]
8 EastEnders Angie Watts suffers a renal shutdown. 24.15 † 7 January 1988BBC1 [18]
9 To the Manor Born Finale of the first series.23.9511 November 1979BBC1 [4]
10 Miss World 1967 Madeline Hartog-Bel (Miss Peru) wins.23.7619 November 1967BBC1 [1]
11 EastEnders The aftermath of Den Watts' divorce to his wife Angie. 23.55 † 26 December 1986BBC1 [19]
12 EastEnders: Who Shot Phil? It is revealed that Lisa Shaw shot Phil Mitchell 23.18 † 5 April 2001BBC1 [20]
13 Panorama Diana, Princess of Wales interview22.7820 November 1995BBC1 [21]
14 Royal Variety Performance 1975 Performers include Bruce Forsyth, Dad's Army and Vera Lynn.22.6616 November 1975ITV (ATV) [4]
15 This Is Your Life Lord Mountbatten22.2227 April 1977ITV (Thames) [4]
16 Sunday Night at the London Palladium Presented by Jimmy Tarbuck.21.893 December 1967ITV (ATV) [1]
17 The Benny Hill Show "Cinema: The Vintage Years"21.6724 March 1971ITV (Thames) [4]
18 Dallas "Who Done It" – Kristin Shepard is revealed to have shot J.R. Ewing.21.6022 November 1980BBC1 [5]
Coronation Street Ken and Deirdre Barlow finalise their divorce.21.608 January 1992ITV (Granada) [2]
19 Eurovision Song Contest 1973 Staged in Luxembourg – won by Anne-Marie David.21.567 April 1973BBC1 [4]
20 Steptoe and Son "The Lodger" – Albert looks for a lodger.21.5418 February 1964BBC1 [1]

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).

Rank Title Viewers
(millions)		 Date Network
1Live and Let Die23.5020 January 1980ITV
2Jaws23.258 October 1981ITV
3The Spy Who Loved Me22.9028 March 1982ITV
4Diamonds Are Forever22.1515 March 1981ITV
5Crocodile Dundee21.7525 December 1989BBC1

Most watched broadcasts by year

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

Year Programme Date Viewers
(millions)[lower-alpha 1]		 Network
1963 News - Assassination of John F. Kennedy 22 November 1963 24.15[lower-alpha 2]
1964 Steptoe and Son 18 February 1964 21.54[1] BBC
1965 Royal Variety Performance 1965 14 November 1965 24.20[1] ITV (ATV)
1966 1966 FIFA World Cup final: England v West Germany 30 July 1966 32.30[lower-alpha 3]
1967 Miss World 1967 19 November 1967 23.76[1] BBC
1968 Apollo 8 Splashdown 27 December 1968 22.55[lower-alpha 4]
1969 Royal Family (documentary) 21 June 1969 and 28 June 1969 30.69[lower-alpha 5]
1970 Apollo 13 Splashdown 17 April 1970 28.60[lower-alpha 6]
1971 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier: Fight of the Century 8 March 1971 21.12[4] BBC[lower-alpha 7]
1972 Eurovision Song Contest 1972 25 March 1972 N/A[lower-alpha 8] BBC
1973 Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips 14 November 1973 27.60[4] BBC
1974 Love Thy Neighbour 7 April 1974 21.01[4] ITV (Thames)
1975 Royal Variety Performance 1975 16 November 1975 22.66[4] ITV (ATV)
1976 The Sweeney 8 November 1976 20.68[4] ITV
1977 This Is Your Life 27 April 1977 22.22[4] ITV (Thames)
1978 Sale of the Century 24 December 1978 21.15[4] ITV
1979 To the Manor Born 11 November 1979 23.95[4] BBC
1980 Film: Live and Let Die 20 January 1980 23.50[5] ITV
1981Film: Jaws8 October 198123.30[25]ITV
1982Film: The Spy Who Loved Me28 March 198222.90[26]ITV
1983Coronation Street23 February 198318.45[27]ITV
1984Royal Variety Performance 198425 November 198420.55[28]BBC
1985Live Aid13 July 198524.50[16]BBC
1986EastEnders25 December 198630.15[14]BBC
1987EastEnders1 January 198728.00[15]BBC
1988EastEnders7 January 198824.15[18]BBC
1989Film: Crocodile Dundee25 December 198921.77[29]BBC
1990Neighbours26 February 199021.16[30]BBC
1991Coronation Street25 November 199120.45[31]ITV
1992Coronation Street22 January 199220.45[32]ITV
1993Coronation Street22 March 199320.73[33]ITV
1994Torvill and Dean – Olympic Ice Dance Championship21 February 199423.95[34]BBC
1995Panorama Special: An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales20 November 199522.78[21]BBC
1996Only Fools and Horses29 December 199624.35[17]BBC
1997Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales6 September 199719.29[35]BBC
19981998 FIFA World Cup: England v Argentina30 June 199823.78[36]ITV
1999Coronation Street7 March 199919.82[37]ITV
2000Coronation Street3 January 200018.96[38]ITV
2001Only Fools and Horses25 December 200121.34[39]BBC
2002Only Fools and Horses25 December 200217.40[40]BBC
2003Coronation Street24 February 200319.43[41]ITV
2004UEFA Euro 2004: England v Portugal24 June 200420.66[42]BBC
2005Coronation Street21 February 200514.36[43]ITV
20062006 FIFA World Cup: England v Sweden20 June 200618.46[44]ITV
2007EastEnders25 December 200714.38[45]BBC
2008Film: A Matter of Loaf and Death25 December 200816.15[46]BBC
2009Britain's Got Talent30 May 200918.29[47]ITV
2010The X Factor12 December 201016.55[48]ITV[lower-alpha 9]
2011Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton29 April 201126.59[50]BBC[lower-alpha 10]
20122012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony12 August 201224.46[51]BBC
2013New Year's Eve Fireworks31 December 201313.53[52]BBC
20142014 FIFA World Cup final: Germany v Argentina13 July 201414.96[53]BBC[lower-alpha 11]
2015The Great British Bake Off7 October 201515.05[54]BBC
2016The Great British Bake Off26 October 201615.90[55]BBC
2017Blue Planet II29 October 201714.01[56]BBC
20182018 FIFA World Cup: Croatia v England11 July 201820.73[57]ITV
2019Gavin & Stacey25 December 201917.92[58]BBC
2020Prime ministerial statement on COVID-1910 May 202018.99[59]BBC
2021UEFA Euro 2020: England v Denmark7 July 202118.40[60]ITV[lower-alpha 12]
20222022 FIFA World Cup: England v France10 December 202216.08[61] ITV1
2023 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla 6 May 2023 12.03[62] BBC[lower-alpha 13]

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1960s". British Film Institute (BFI). Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1990s". British Film Institute (BFI). Archived from the original on 25 November 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Euro 2020 final: TV audience peaked at 31m as England lost on penalties". BBC News. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1970s". British Film Institute (BFI). Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Features | Britain's Most Watched TV | 1980s". British Film Institute (BFI). Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 "PM's coronavirus address watched by 27.1m". BBC News. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  7. ↑ BARB [@barbtelevision] (20 September 2022). "The average audience for the Queen's funeral service at Westminster Abbey (11:00 – 12:06) was 26.2m across all channels. Reach was 29.2m, a share of 95%" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 September 2022 – via Twitter.
  8. 1 2 "The Queen's funeral watched by 28 million viewers in UK". BBC News. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  9. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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.'
  11. 1 2 3 "TV since 1981 – 2011 – Events". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  12. ↑ Douglas, Torin (22 January 2012). "Tracking 30 years of TV's most watched programmes". BBC News.
  13. ↑ "Weekly top programmes on four screens (from Sept 2018) | BARB". Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  14. 1 2 "TV since 1981 – 1986 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 "TV since 1981 – 1987 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Moments in TV History". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 19 November 2013.
  17. 1 2 "TV since 1981 – 1996 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  18. 1 2 "TV since 1981 – 1988 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  19. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1985 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  20. ↑ "BARB data 2001". BARB. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  21. 1 2 "TV since 1981 – 1995 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  22. ↑ "TV's jewels fail to shine in list of all-time winners". Corrie.net. 7 February 1998. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  23. ↑ "Classic TV - Old UK TV Show Ratings - 70s| FiftiesWeb". Fifties Web. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  24. ↑ Longridge, Chris; Opie, David (21 August 2019). "The biggest TV show in the year you were born". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  25. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1981 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  26. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1982 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  27. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1983 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  28. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1984 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  29. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1989 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  30. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1990 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  31. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1991 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  32. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1992 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  33. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1993 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  34. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1994 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  35. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1997 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  36. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1998 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  37. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 1999 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  38. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2000 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  39. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2001 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  40. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2002 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  41. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2003 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  42. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2004 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  43. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2005 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  44. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2006 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  45. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2007 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  46. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2008 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  47. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2009 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  48. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2010 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  49. ↑ "Weekly top 10 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018)". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  50. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2011 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  51. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2012 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  52. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2013 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  53. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2014 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  54. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2015 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  55. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2016 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  56. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2017 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  57. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2018 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  58. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2019 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  59. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2020 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  60. ↑ "TV since 1981 – 2021 – Top 10 programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB). Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  61. ↑ "Most viewed programmes | BARB". Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  62. ↑ "Most viewed programmes Barb". Retrieved 20 May 2023.
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