England semi pulls in 24m on BBC but falls short of Euros final Sport Business BBC coverage of England getting dumped out of the World Cup broke 2026 records but fell short of other football matches in historical rankings. Around 24m watched Argentina’s late 2-1 win in Atlanta, making the match the most-watched live television moment of the year. The broadcast averaged 22.1m viewers on the BBC with the channel’s [...]
England 2am World Cup victory smashes records for BBC on iPlayer and website Sport Business England’s dramatic World Cup victory against Mexico led to a record-breaking broadcast across the board for the BBC. Over 11m BBC iPlayer requests contributed to the largest ever day on record for the streaming service, hitting 48m requests in total on Monday, while the 3-2 win at the Estadio Azteca attracted a peak live audience [...]
Free-to-air bonanza boon for fans, sport and marketers Sport Business A weekend of wall-to-wall live sport on free-to-air television will serve as a boon for brands, terrestrial broadcasters and fans, experts have said. This weekend will see a monumental volume of sport across the five main free-to-air channels – BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and 5 – as well as ITV4 – as sports look [...]
Could Burnham be the answer to free-to-air sport for all? June 25, 2026 With Andy Burnham set to be the next Prime Minister, Alan Sendorek assesses how his approach to broadcasting sport may differ from Sir Keir Starmer’s. Sir Keir Starmer – the country’s most powerful Arsenal fan – last month joined the Football Supporters Association in calling on TNT Sports to make the Champions League final available [...]
England’s Women’s T20 World Cup matches to be free to watch April 21, 2026 All of England’s Women’s T20 World Cup matches will be free to watch after broadcaster Sky Sports opened up access to this year’s event. England’s opening match against Sri Lanka, as well as each of the home nations’ opening group matches and the Lord’s final, will be broadcast free-to-air on Sky Mix, which is accessible [...]
Streaming surpasses free-to-air TV in key European markets, research shows March 19, 2026 Streaming has already surpassed linear television in key European markets, new research released this week shows. Fans now consume a larger share of sport via digital platforms than free-to-air television in Italy and Spain, with Iberian audiences watching around 40 per cent more of their sport through streaming services, according to Altman Solon’s Global Sports [...]
ITV in-game Six Nations ads will keep sport free-to-air, experts say February 4, 2026 ITV’s introduction of advertising during matches at the Six Nations is a sign of things to come but will keep more sport on free-to-air television, say experts. Starting tomorrow, the broadcaster will show split-screen adverts during pauses in play at this year’s competition, such as when scrums are being reset. It has led to concerns [...]
Prem Rugby signs free-to-air broadcast deal with ITV January 22, 2026 Prem Rugby has extended its deal with ITV to keep England’s top flight league on free-to-air television. The partnership will see the broadcaster show seven matches per season, including the final. It continues a longstanding agreement between the two organisations, with every match each season also broadcast on TNT Sports. The move solidifies the free-to-air [...]
Premier Sports to broadcast five Six Nations matches across UK January 7, 2026 Premier Sports will broadcast five Six Nations matches across the UK as the streaming platform looks to strengthen its rugby offering. The Irish broadcaster, which holds the UK rights to rugby competitions such as the French Top 14, Investec Champions Cup and multinational United Rugby Championship, will show one match per round, beginning with Scotland’s [...]
Free-to-air TV should be crucial pillar for rugby union August 29, 2025 Whether it be the Women’s Rugby World Cup pulling in millions of viewers on the BBC or the Six Nations being a staple of Saturday afternoon TV guide planning, free-to-air is crucial for a sport like rugby union. It is a sport that needs eye balls and a sport that thrives off being given prime [...]