A peak audience of 24 million viewers tuned into BBC One and iPlayer to watch England's World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina, making it the most-watched live television broadcast in the United Kingdom in the last five years. The match averaged 22.1 million viewers on BBC One and iPlayer, with an additional 12.6 million streams across BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
Argentina secured their place in a second consecutive World Cup final with a stoppage-time header from Lautaro Martinez, after Anthony Gordon had opened the scoring for England in the second half. The teams drew level with five minutes remaining, before Martinez's late goal sealed the victory for the defending champions.
The BBC Sport live coverage page also saw significant engagement, with over 24.6 million global views, including 18.8 million within the UK.
England is scheduled to play France in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday at 10:00 PM BST. Argentina will face Spain in the final in New Jersey on Sunday at 8:00 PM. Both matches will be broadcast live on BBC One, iPlayer, radio, and the BBC Sport website and app.
"Last night may not have brought the result England fans were hoping for, but it was another occasion that united millions across the UK in support of the team," said BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski. He added that the "extraordinary reach" of the coverage across various BBC platforms reflects the "enduring power of major sporting events to create shared experiences on a remarkable scale."