England's Lionesses smash TV audience record in Euro 2017 semi-final

Peak audience of 4 million tuned in to Channel 4 to watch football match, beating Celebrity Big Brother and Panorama

England’s crunch Euro 2017 semi-final against Holland drew the biggest ever UK audience for a women’s football match.

A peak audience of 4 million tuned in to Channel 4, only to see the Lionesses crash out of the tournament with a 3-0 loss to the host country.

The match easily beat the previous record of a peak of 3.3 million, which was set on Sunday for England’s quarter-final against France.

Thursday night’s game drew an average audience of 3.4 million viewers as fans hoped to see the Lionesses move to within one game of becoming the first senior England side since Sir Alf Ramsey’s World Cup class of 1966 to win a major football tournament.

The match drew more than double the average audience of Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother, which aired from 9pm to 10pm. It also proved more popular than BBC1’s Panorama special on the RSPCA and ITV’s Inside the London Fire Brigade and James Martin’s French Adventure.

It even held its own against the big beasts of the weeknight schedule, soaps Emmerdale and EastEnders, which drew audiences of 4.5 to 5 million.

Viewing of the game peaked at 9pm when England were still very much in the match, trailing by one goal. Minutes later they conceded a second. From this point viewers began to drift away with just over 1 million still watching after the Dutch went 3-0 ahead with an own goal in the dying seconds.

Channel 4 is jubilant over the ratings success of Euro 2017– the broadcaster has previously had huge viewing success with its gamble on the London 2012 Paralympic games – but will rue the missed opportunity of another record night had England made the final.

“We’re delighted so many tuned in to follow England’s magnificent effort during this campaign – who knows how many might have tuned into the final had the Lionesses made it, but sadly it wasn’t to be,” said Stephen Lyle, Channel 4’s commissioning editor, sport.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that the women’s game is compelling sport, and just as heartbreaking as the men’s game.”

The game drew a record crowd for women’s football in the Netherlands, but that is likely to be eclipsed by the home country’s final against Denmark this weekend.

Contributor

Mark Sweney

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Record viewing figures expected for Lionesses' Euro 2017 semi-final
Channel 4 hopes millions will tune in to see if England’s women can pull off a victory over Netherlands on Thursday

Alexandra Topping

03, Aug, 2017 @6:00 AM

Article image
England’s Euros triumph draws record TV audience of 17m
Audience peaked at 17.4 million viewers, making it the biggest UK television event of the year to date

Mark Sweney

01, Aug, 2022 @11:05 AM

Article image
Lionesses’ semi-final watched by 7.3m – but few viewing events for final
Councils accused of downplaying women’s football compared with men’s, with scarcity of planned public viewing parties

Rachel Hall

17, Aug, 2023 @7:33 PM

Article image
England fans keep the faith despite defeat for Lionesses in Euro 2017
Semi-final defeat for the England women’s football team is greeted with disappointment but followers believe interest in the game will build

Alexandra Topping

03, Aug, 2017 @10:08 PM

Article image
England’s Euro 2022 win over Sweden draws peak TV audience of 9.3 million
Women’s 4-0 triumph one of the most-watched broadcasts of the year, BBC One figures show

Jim Waterson Media editor

27, Jul, 2022 @11:37 AM

Article image
Record TV audience watch England in Women's World Cup
Quarter-final victory over Norway attracts peak figure of 7.6 million on BBC One

Sarah Marsh and Frances Perraudin

28, Jun, 2019 @11:56 AM

Article image
Euro 2020 final attracts estimated 31 million TV audience in UK
Coverage of England v Italy match watched by more viewers than any programme since 1997 Diana funeral

Jim Waterson Media editor

12, Jul, 2021 @12:13 PM

Article image
Women's World Cup match attracts bigger TV audience than cricket
England’s victory over Scotland attracted average audience of 4.6 million, compared with 550,000 for men’s cricket

Jim Waterson Media editor

10, Jun, 2019 @3:47 PM

Article image
Lionesses may get awards after reaching World Cup final
No 10 says it will find ‘appropriate’ way to celebrate defeated finalists as Labour calls for full-team honours

Rowena Mason Whitehall editor

20, Aug, 2023 @5:14 PM

Article image
England's World Cup defeat to USA watched by 11.7m TV viewers
Defeat of Phil Neville’s team was most-watched British television broadcast of the year

Jim Waterson Media editor

03, Jul, 2019 @9:45 AM