England Win Gives ITV Record Audience

ITV’s coverage of England’s victory against France in the Rugby World Cup
semi-final was watched by a peak audience of 12.4m viewers – the biggest TV
audience for a sports event this year.

England’s 14-9 win over France taking the team through to the World Cup final
against South Africa achieved a 51% share of the total TV audience at peak for
ITV1.

The match drew an average audience of 11.2m and a 47% share, according to
unofficial overnight figures although the numbers exclude people watching in
bars and pubs.

ITV1’s entire coverage of the event, including pre and post-match analysis,
was watched by an average audience of 9.6m and a 42% share, in the 7.45pm-10pm
slot.

The audience dwarfed figures for England’s quarter-final over Australia,
which attracted an average audience of 5.2m and a 49.3% share.

ITV is set to receive a major advertising bonus from England’s unexpected
progress through to the final. The broadcaster is believed to have made an extra
£2m in advertising from this weekend’s semi-final with Cadbury understood to
have paid £700,000 for the last 90-second spot before ITV1’s coverage of the
game began.