A peak audience of 16.3 million people watched England's dramatic World Cup win over DR Congo on Wednesday, marking the most-watched moment on the BBC so far this year.
An average of 14 million viewers tuned into the BBC television broadcast of the match, which kicked off at 5:00 PM BST. The game also generated 10.4 million streams across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and the BBC Sport app.
England secured their victory with two late goals from Harry Kane in the final 15 minutes, coming from behind after DR Congo took an early lead in the seventh minute. The global live coverage page for the match received over 20 million views, with 14 million of those originating from the UK, contributing to the BBC Sport website and app's busiest day since the previous World Cup.
England is set to face Mexico in the round of 16 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Monday. The match is scheduled for a 1:00 AM BST kickoff and will be broadcast live on BBC One, radio, and online.
Previous World Cup group stage matches for England also drew significant viewership. Their opener against Croatia, broadcast on ITV, reached a peak of 15.4 million viewers. The match against Panama, also on ITV, peaked at 13.76 million viewers. England's draw with Ghana was watched by a peak audience of 15.4 million on the BBC, supplemented by 8.3 million requests on the BBC Sport app and BBC iPlayer.
"These are extraordinary audience figures that show the BBC is the place the nation comes together for the biggest sporting moments," said Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC Director of Sport. "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."
During the final week of the group stage, the World Cup accounted for more than one-third of all hours streamed on BBC iPlayer. The "Football Daily" podcast has also seen considerable success, accumulating over two million streams during the group stages. Across social media platforms, BBC Sport has recorded 889 million video views in connection with the tournament to date.
The upcoming match against Mexico will be England's first overnight game for UK viewers in this tournament. This timing presents a challenge for younger fans, prompting discussions among parents about how to allow children to watch the game on a school night.
Responding to the dilemma, head coach Thomas Tuchel suggested, "Write an excuse for school and let them watch. 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."