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.

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 BBC One. Pre-1981 figures supplied by the British Film Institute (BFI) Post-1981 figures verified by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB)

RankEvent(millions)Date(s)Network(s)The announcement of the Queen's death was seen by 15.80 million viewers in total, not 33 million (see Broadcast.com source in the references). The latter number was reported by less credible sources by adding up all channels' ratings over a 14-hour period. Please do not re-add this – it is ineligible for these lists. --> 1 1966 FIFA World Cup final: England v West Germany 32.30 BBC/ITV 2 Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales 32.10 BBC/ITV 3 Royal Family (documentary) Parts 1 & 2 30.69 (Part 1) & (Part 2) BBC/ITV 4 UEFA Euro 2020 final: Italy v England 29.85 BBC/ITV5 Apollo 13 Splashdown 28.60 BBC/ITV 6 1970 FA Cup final replay: Chelsea v Leeds United 28.49 BBC/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 announcing a national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic 27.10 BBC/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5/Sky News/S4C 10 State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II26.20BBC/ITV/S4C/Sky News/Talk TV/GB News11Elizabeth II's COVID-19 address 24.50 BBC/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5/Sky News/S4C122012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony 23.20 BBC One/BBC Two

Notes: The Coronation of Elizabeth II (2 June 1953) was reportedly watched by more than 20 million households, with some figures cited as high as 27 million households, though this figure is before modern ratings were introduced. 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 27.5million British viewers in 1971, and The Rumble in the Jungle (Ali vs. Foreman) was reported to have been watched by 26million viewers on BBC 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, with an extra 4.02 million watching on ITV. Boris Johnson's address on 23 March 2020 was simulcast to 14.61 million viewers on BBC, 5.80 million on ITV, and more than 6 million on other channels. The state funeral of Queen 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. 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.

RankProgrammeSynopsisViewers(millions)DateNetworkRef.1 EastEndersDen Watts serves his wife Angie with divorce papers.30.15 BBC12 EastEndersThe aftermath of Den Watts serving his wife Angie with divorce papers. 28.00 BBC13 Coronation StreetHilda Ogden leaves Weatherfield. 26.65 ITV (Granada)4 Live Aid16-hour concert in Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium for Band Aid.24.5013 July 1985BBC2 then BBC15 Only Fools and Horses "Time on Our Hands" 24.35 BBC16 EastEndersArthur and Pauline Fowler urge their son Mark to tell his sister Michelle that he has HIV.24.30 BBC17Royal Variety Performance 1965Featuring Dame Shirley Bassey, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and more. 24.20 ITV (ATV)8 EastEnders Angie Watts suffers a renal shutdown.24.15 BBC19 To the Manor BornFinale of the first series. 23.95 BBC110 Miss World 1967Madeline Hartog-Bel (Miss Peru) wins. 23.76BBC111 EastEndersThe aftermath of Den Watts serving his wife Angie with divorce papers.23.55 BBC112 EastEndersIt is revealed that Lisa Shaw shot Phil Mitchell.23.18 BBC113 PanoramaDiana, Princess of Wales interview 22.78 BBC114 Royal Variety Performance 1975 Performers include Bruce Forsyth, Dad's Army and Vera Lynn. 22.66 ITV (ATV)15 This Is Your LifeLord Mountbatten 22.22 ITV (Thames)16 Sunday Night at the London Palladium Presented by Jimmy Tarbuck. 21.89 ITV (ATV)17The Benny Hill Show "Cinema: The Vintage Years" 21.67 ITV (Thames)18Dallas "Who Done It" – Kristin Shepard is revealed to have shot J.R. Ewing. 21.60 BBC1 Coronation StreetKen and Deirdre Barlow finalise their divorce. 21.60 ITV (Granada)20 Eurovision Song Contest 1973Staged in Luxembourg City – the UK was represented by Cliff Richard, and the contest was won by Anne-Marie David. 21.56 BBC1

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). The only film on this list not to be a premiere screening is Diamonds are Forever, which had been first shown on Christmas Day 1978.

RankTitleViewers (millions)DateNetwork1 Live and Let Die 23.50 ITV (LWT)2 Jaws 23.25 ITV (Thames)3 The Spy Who Loved Me 22.90 ITV (LWT)4 Diamonds Are Forever 22.15 ITV (LWT)5 Crocodile Dundee 21.75 BBC1

Most watched broadcasts by year The viewing figures for this table come from the British Film Institute (BFI) until 1980 and Barb Audiences from 1981. Average audience is used, and all data is based on single channel viewership except where noted.

YearProgrammeDateViewers(millions)Network1959Wagon Train30 November 195913.63ITV1960Data unavailable 19611962 1963 News - Assassination of John F. Kennedy 24.15 1964 Steptoe and Son: "The Lodger" 21.54 BBC TV 1965 Royal Variety Performance 1965 24.20 ITV (ATV) 1966 1966 FIFA World Cup final: England v West Germany 32.30 1967 Miss World 1967 23.76 BBC1 1968 Apollo 8 Splashdown 22.55 1969 Royal Family (documentary) and 30.69 1970 Apollo 13 Splashdown 28.60 1971 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier: Fight of the Century 21.12 BBC11972Eurovision Song Contest 197225 March 1972N/ABBC1 1973 Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips 27.60 BBC1 1974 Love Thy Neighbour: "Eddie's Birthday" 21.01 ITV (Thames) 1975 Royal Variety Performance 1975 22.66 ITV (ATV) 1976 The Sweeney: "Sweet Smell of Succession" 20.68 ITV (Thames) 1977 This Is Your Life: “Lord Mountbatten” 22.22 ITV (Thames) 1978 Sale of the Century 21.15 ITV (Anglia) 1979 To the Manor Born: "A Touch of Class" 23.95 BBC1 1980 Film: Live and Let Die 23.50 ITV (LWT) 1981 Film: Jaws 8 October 1981 23.30 ITV (Thames) 1982 Film: The Spy Who Loved Me 28 March 1982 22.90 ITV (LWT) 1983 Coronation Street 23 February 1983 18.45 ITV (Granada) 1984 Royal Variety Performance 1984 25 November 1984 20.55 BBC1 1985 Live Aid 13 July 1985 24.50 BBC1 1986 EastEnders 25 December 1986 30.15 BBC1 1987 EastEnders 1 January 1987 28.00 BBC1 1988 EastEnders 7 January 1988 24.15 BBC1 1989 Film: Crocodile Dundee 25 December 1989 21.77 BBC1 1990 Neighbours 26 February 1990 21.16 BBC1 1991 Coronation Street 25 November 1991 20.45 ITV (Granada) 1992 Coronation Street 22 January 1992 20.45 ITV (Granada) 1993 Coronation Street 22 March 1993 20.73 ITV (Granada) 1994 Torvill and Dean – Olympic Ice Dance Championship 21 February 1994 23.95 BBC1 1995 Panorama: "An Interview with HRH The Princess of Wales" 20 November 1995 22.78 BBC1 1996 Only Fools and Horses: "Time On Our Hands" 29 December 1996 24.35 BBC1 1997 Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales 6 September 1997 19.29 BBC1 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup: England v Argentina 30 June 1998 23.78 ITV (Carlton) 1999 Coronation Street 7 March 1999 19.82 ITV (Granada) 2000 Coronation Street 3 January 2000 18.96 ITV (Granada) 2001 EastEnders 5 April 2001 23.18 BBC One 2002 Only Fools and Horses: "Strangers on the Shore" 25 December 2002 17.40 BBC One 2003 Coronation Street 24 February 2003 19.43 ITV1 Granada 2004 UEFA Euro 2004: England v Portugal 24 June 2004 20.66 BBC One 2005 Coronation Street 21 February 2005 14.36ITV1 2006 2006 FIFA World Cup: England v Sweden 20 June 2006 18.46 ITV1 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: "Final" 30 May 2009 18.29 ITV1 2010 The X Factor: "Final" 12 December 2010 16.55 ITV1 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 14.92 BBC One 2015 The Great British Bake Off: "Final" 7 October 2015 15.05 BBC One 2016 The Great British Bake Off: "Royal Picnic" 26 October 2016 15.90 BBC One 2017 Blue Planet II: "One Ocean" 29 October 2017 14.01 BBC One 2018 2018 FIFA World Cup: Croatia v England 11 July 2018 20.73 ITV 2019 Gavin & Stacey: "2019 Christmas Special" 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 2022 FIFA World Cup: England v France 10 December 2022 16.08ITV1 2023Coronation of Charles III and Camilla6 May 202312.04 BBC One2024 Gavin & Stacey: "The Finale" 25 December 2024 19.11BBC One2025 The Celebrity Traitors: "Finale"6 November 202514.94BBC One2026 2026 FIFA World Cup: England v Argentina15 July 202614.93BBC One

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References