Up to 21million watch England v Netherlands Euro 2024 semi-final on TV

England’s Euro 2024 semi-final win over the Netherlands was watched by up to 21.6million people, making it the most-viewed TV programme of the year so far.

The total audience who tuned into ITV‘s coverage across television and streaming also made it the highest peak television audience on a single channel since 2022.

Ollie Watkins‘ 90th-minute strike in Dortmund last night earned a 2-1 victory to send Gareth Southgate‘s side through to Sunday’s final against Spain in Berlin at 8pm.

The audience was the highest on one channel since December 10, 2022 when fans tuned in to watch England’s 2-1 quarter-final loss to France at the Qatar World Cup.

An average audience of 19.6million watched yesterday evening’s match, which kicked off at 8pm, as substitute Watkins claimed the late winner after a penalty from captain Harry Kane penalty cancelled out Xavi Simons’ early opener for the Dutch.

England fans at the Camp and Furnace pub in Liverpool watch the semi-final on TV last night

England’s players celebrate after the semi-final against the Netherlands in Dortmund last night

Overall coverage of the semi-final, between 6.30pm and 10.45pm, was watched by 12.7million people, a 64 per cent share of viewing.

Traditional overnight figures, which only measure viewing on TV sets, showed across the entire coverage, including pre-match and post-match analysis, the programme averaged 12.1million viewers, with a high point of 20.3million.

This was significantly up from Saturday’s quarter-final between England and Switzerland, which aired on BBC1, which averaged 10.8million and peaked at 16.8million.

While the England semi-final aired on ITV, on BBC One EastEnders was watched by 1.4million and then 1.1million watched The Repair Shop.

ITV’s own figures said the match itself was watched by an average of 19.6million between 8pm and 9.55pm, on traditional TV and streaming across all devices.

England fans celebrate the team’s second goal scored by Ollie Watkins in Dortmund last night 

England’s players celebrate in the semi-final against the Netherlands in Dortmund last night

It added there had been a ‘record-breaking number of people’ go to ITVX to livestream the coverage, with 16.8 million streams of the game.

Sunday’s final in Berlin – England’s second in succession at the European Championships following a penalty shoot-out loss to Italy at Euro 2020 – will be broadcast by both ITV and the BBC.

Broadcasters hope that more than 30million viewers will watch the final, based on figures from England’s Euro 2020 final against Italy in July 2021 when a peak of 30.95million tuned in.

On Sunday there will be live coverage of Spain v England on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from 7pm, with the match also available to watch on the BBC Sport website and app.

Sports presenter Mark Chapman will be on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds in the build-up to the match, from 7pm, before live commentary begins with the kick-off at 8pm.

England fans celebrate at Boxpark Wembley in North West London yesterday evening

ITV will also be broadcasting the game with coverage starting at 6.30pm on Sunday. 

The BBC‘s coverage of the match means that Countryfile has been moved to an earlier slot of 5.40pm on Sunday.

Antiques Roadshow, which last aired with a D-Day special on Sunday June 2, is not on the schedule, but will return to BBC One next week.

Viewers can also watch a replay of the semi-final game on BBC One and BBC iPlayer after midnight tonight with commentary from Guy Mowbray and Danny Murphy.

Almost 14million people tuned in to watch England’s tense Euros quarter-final match against Switzerland on July 6, which saw them clinch victory in a penalty shootout.

According to overnight ratings, an average audience of 13.6million watched on as Gareth Southgate’s team narrowly secured a place in the semi-final following their match in Dusseldorf.

England fans celebrate at the AO Arena in Manchester after watching the match last night

Spain and France then faced each other on Tuesday, with Spain winning a spot in the final with a 2-1 victory in a match watched by a peak of 11million people on BBC One.

England’s victory has also led comedian John Bishop to move the time of his stand-up gig in Wolverhampton so he can watch the match.

He said in a video posted on X: ‘This is a message to all the people coming to Wolverhampton on Sunday. I’m not doing the show at 8 o’clock, the show’s going to get moved to the afternoon.

‘You’re all going to get an email in the morning telling you the time. I know it won’t suit everybody, so anyone who can’t make it we’ll give you a refund.

‘But we’re definitely going to move the time to Sunday afternoon cause there’s no chance I’m going to be doing it at 8 o’clock cause I’m going to be busy watching these boys (the England team).’