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.

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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 BBC1. +more * Post-1981 figures verified by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) * Pre-1981 figures supplied by the British Film Institute (BFI).

Rank	Event	Average audience (millions)	Date	%\|Network(s)
1	1966 FIFA World Cup Final: England v West Germany	32. 30		BBC One/ITV
2	Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales	32. +more10		BBC One/ITV
3	Royal Family (documentary)	30. 69	and	BBC One/ITV
4	UEFA Euro 2020 Final: Italy v England	29. 85		BBC One/ITV
5	Apollo 13 Splashdown	28. 60		BBC One/ITV
6	1970 FA Cup Final replay: Chelsea v Leeds United	28. 49		BBC One/ITV
7	Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer	28. 40		BBC One/ITV
8	Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips	27. 60		BBC One
9	Prime minister Boris Johnson's statement on COVID-19	27. 10		BBC One/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5/Sky News/BBC News/S4C
10	State funeral of Elizabeth II	26. 20	19 September 2022	BBC One/BBC Two/ITV network/Sky network and others

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Notes: * At least two Muhammad Ali boxing matches were reported to have been watched by at least 26million viewers in the United Kingdom: the Fight of the Century (Ali vs. Frazier) was reported to have been watched by 27. +more5million British viewers in 1971, and The Rumble in the Jungle (Ali vs. Foreman) was reported to have been watched by 26million viewers on BBC One in 1974. * 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. The highest figures of these were 13. 59 million on BBC One, with an extra 4. 02 million watching on ITV. * Boris Johnson's 23 March 2020 address was simulcast to 14. 61 million viewers on BBC One, 5. 80 million on ITV, and more than 6 million on other channels. * The state funeral of Elizabeth II (19 September 2022) was watched by an average audience of 18. 5 million viewers on BBC channels.

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. +more 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.

Rank	Programme	Synopsis	Viewers (millions)	Date	Network
1	EastEnders	Den Watts serves his wife Angie with divorce papers.	background:#FFE5B4\|30. +more15		BBC One
2	EastEnders	The aftermath of Den Watts' divorce to his wife Angie.	background:#FFE5B4\| 28. 00		BBC One
3	Coronation Street	Hilda Ogden leaves Weatherfield.	background:#FFE5B4\| 26. 65		ITV (Granada)
4	Live Aid	16-hour concert in Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium for Band Aid.	24. 50	13 July 1985	BBC One/BBC Two
5	Only Fools and Horses	"Time on Our Hands"	24. 35		BBC One
6	EastEnders	Arthur and Pauline Fowler urge their son Mark to tell his sister Michelle that he has HIV.	24. 30		BBC One
7	Royal Variety Performance 1965	Featuring Dame Shirley Bassey, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and more.	24. 20		ITV (ATV)
8	EastEnders	Angie Watts suffers a renal shutdown.	24. 15		BBC One
9	To the Manor Born	Finale of the first series.	23. 95		BBC One
10	Miss World 1967	Madeline Hartog-Bel (Miss Peru) wins.	23. 76		BBC One
11	EastEnders	The aftermath of Den Watts' divorce to his wife Angie	23. 55		BBC One
12	EastEnders: Who Shot Phil?	It is revealed that Lisa Shaw shot Phil Mitchell	background:#FFE5B4\|23. 18		BBC One
13	Panorama	Diana, Princess of Wales interview	22. 78		BBC One
14	Royal Variety Performance 1975	Performers include Bruce Forsyth, Dad's Army and Vera Lynn.	22. 66		ITV (ATV)
15	This Is Your Life	Lord Mountbatten	22. 22		ITV (Thames)
16	Sunday Night at the London Palladium	Presented by Jimmy Tarbuck.	21. 89		ITV (ATV)
17	The Benny Hill Show	"Cinema: The Vintage Years"	21. 67		ITV (Thames)
18	Dallas	"Who Done It" - Kristin Shepard is revealed to have shot J. R. Ewing.	21. 60		BBC One
18	Coronation Street	Ken and Deirdre Barlow finalise their divorce.	21. 60		ITV (Granada)
19	Eurovision Song Contest 1973	Staged in Luxembourg - won by Anne-Marie David.	21. 56		BBC One
20	Steptoe and Son	"The Lodger" - Albert looks for a lodger.	21. 54		BBC TV

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Most watched films

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

Rank	Title	Viewers (millions)	Network
1	Live and Let Die	23. 50	ITV
2	Jaws	23. +more25	ITV
3	The Spy Who Loved Me	22. 90	ITV
4	Diamonds Are Forever	22. 15	ITV
5	Crocodile Dundee	21. 75	BBC1

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Important

BBC One

Coronation Street

EastEnders

Only Fools and Horses

Angie Watts

Associated Television

Thames Television

Royal Variety Performance

Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

Den Watts

ITV (TV channel)

2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony

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)	Network
1970	Apollo 13 Splashdown		N/A	N/A
1971	Muhammad Ali vs. +more Joe Frazier: Fight of the Century		21. 12	BBC One
1972	Eurovision Song Contest 1972	25 March 1972	N/A	BBC One
1973	Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips		27. 60	BBC One
1974	Love Thy Neighbour		21. 01	ITV (Thames)
1975	Royal Variety Performance 1975		22. 66	ITV (ATV)
1976	The Sweeney		20. 68	ITV
1977	This Is Your Life		22. 22	ITV (Thames)
1978	Sale of the Century		21. 15	ITV
1979	To the Manor Born		23. 95	BBC One
1980	Film: Live and Let Die		23. 50	ITV
1981	Film: Jaws	8 October 1981	23. 30	ITV
1982	Film: The Spy Who Loved Me	28 March 1982	22. 90	ITV
1983	Coronation Street	23 February 1983	18. 45	ITV
1984	Royal Variety Performance 1984	25 November 1984	20. 55	BBC One
1985	Live Aid	13 July 1985	24. 50	BBC One
1986	EastEnders	25 December 1986	30. 15	BBC One
1987	EastEnders	1 January 1987	28. 00	BBC One
1988	EastEnders	7 January 1988	24. 15	BBC One
1989	Film: Crocodile Dundee	25 December 1989	21. 77	BBC One
1990	Neighbours	26 February 1990	21. 16	BBC One
1991	Coronation Street	25 November 1991	20. 45	ITV
1992	Coronation Street	22 January 1992	20. 45	ITV
1993	Coronation Street	22 March 1993	20. 73	ITV
1994	Torvill and Dean - Olympic Ice Dance Championship	21 February 1994	23. 95	BBC One
1995	Panorama Special: An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales	20 November 1995	22. 78	BBC One
1996	Only Fools and Horses	29 December 1996	24. 35	BBC One
1997	Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales	6 September 1997	19. 29	BBC One
1998	1998 FIFA World Cup: England v Argentina	30 June 1998	23. 78	ITV
1999	Coronation Street	7 March 1999	19. 82	ITV
2000	Coronation Street	3 January 2000	18. 96	ITV
2001	Only Fools and Horses	25 December 2001	21. 34	BBC One
2002	Only Fools and Horses	25 December 2002	17. 40	BBC One
2003	Coronation Street	24 February 2003	19. 43	ITV
2004	UEFA Euro 2004: England v Portugal	24 June 2004	20. 66	BBC One
2005	Coronation Street	21 February 2005	14. 36	ITV
2006	2006 FIFA World Cup: England v Sweden	20 June 2006	18. 46	ITV
2007	EastEnders	25 December 2007	14. 38	BBC One
2008	Film: A Matter of Loaf and Death	25 December 2008	16. 15	BBC One
2009	Britain's Got Talent	30 May 2009	18. 29	ITV
2010	The X Factor	12 December 2010	16. 55	ITV
2011	Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton	29 April 2011	13. 59	BBC One
2012	2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony	12 August 2012	24. 46	BBC One
2013	New Year's Eve Fireworks	31 December 2013	13. 53	BBC One
2014	2014 FIFA World Cup Final: Germany v Argentina	13 July 2014	14. 96	BBC One
2015	The Great British Bake Off	7 October 2015	15. 05	BBC One
2016	The Great British Bake Off	26 October 2016	15. 90	BBC One
2017	Blue Planet II	29 October 2017	14. 01	BBC One
2018	2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finals: Croatia v England	11 July 2018	20. 73	ITV
2019	Gavin & Stacey	25 December 2019	17. 92	BBC One
2020	Prime ministerial statement on COVID-19	10 May 2020	18. 99	BBC One
2021	UEFA Euro 2020: England v Denmark	7 July 2021	18. 40	ITV
2022	Platinum Party at the Palace	4 June 2022	13. 07	BBC One

List of most watched television broadcasts in the United Kingdom

Most watched special events

Most watched programmes

Most watched films

Important

Most watched broadcasts by year

Notes

Top television lists

Lists of most popular media

British television-related lists

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