A peak of 16.3 million people watched England beat DR Congo in a dramatic World Cup group stage match on Wednesday. The game, which kicked off at 17:00 BST, drew an average of 14 million viewers on BBC TV, making it the most watched moment on the broadcaster this year.
According to BBC Sport, there were an additional 10.4 million streams on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and its app. The live coverage page was viewed more than 20 million times globally, with 14 million of those views coming from the UK. The BBC described it as the biggest day on the BBC Sport website and app since the last World Cup.
England came close to an early exit after DR Congo went in front in the seventh minute. Kane pulled the team back, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to seal the win and push England through to the knockout round.
The match drew a larger peak than England's earlier group games. The opener against Croatia pulled a peak of 15.4 million on ITV, while the win over Panama brought in a peak of 13.76 million, also on ITV. The draw with Ghana attracted a peak of 15.4 million on the BBC, with 8.3 million requests on the BBC Sport app and iPlayer. The DR Congo match surpassed all of them.
The World Cup accounted for more than a third of all hours streamed on BBC iPlayer during the final week of the group stage, at 34 percent. BBC Sport also reported 889 million video views across social media during the tournament so far. Football Daily's visualised podcast generated more than two million streams during the group stages alone.
BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski responded to the numbers. "These are extraordinary audience figures that show the BBC is the place the nation comes together for the biggest sporting moments," he said. "We're proud to be delivering the moments that matter to audiences wherever and however they choose to follow the tournament, as England's World Cup journey continues."
England will next face Mexico in the last 16 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Monday. The match kicks off at 01:00 BST, meaning UK viewers will be watching through the night. For children, it falls on a school night, and England head coach Thomas Tuchel was asked about the situation after Wednesday's win.
"Write an excuse for school and let them watch," Tuchel said. "There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch. There will be a big match in four days, and we need the support of everyone, especially the children."
The game will be broadcast live on BBC One, radio, and online.
