Women’s World Cup Final Draws Historic U.K. Viewership Numbers

While England wasn’t able to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the country’s 1-0 loss to Spain in Sunday’s final still broke a domestic viewership record.

The match drew 12 million viewers on BBC One — making it the most-watched women’s soccer match in U.K. history and the second-most watched event for BBC this year behind the inauguration of King Charles III. It was England’s first appearance in the Women’s World Cup Final.

The final racked up a further 3.9 million views on the BBC’s digital platforms.

The previous U.K. record for a women’s soccer match was England’s victory in the Euro 2022 final over Germany, which averaged just over 11 million viewers. In this World Cup, England’s semifinal victory over Australia drew 7 million.

Last year, England’s final match of the Qatar World Cup — a loss to France in the quarterfinals — brought in more than 19 million viewers in the U.K.

More Records

Australia set records of its own at this Women’s World Cup — the Matildas’ elimination at the hands of England was the most-watched TV program on record in Australia with more than 7 million domestic viewers.

Final viewership figures for the Women’s World Cup on Fox Sports in the U.S. are still being determined.