England's triumph over the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final captivated a staggering peak audience of 20.3 million viewers on ITV, firmly cementing its status as the year's most-watched television spectacle. As anticipation mounts for the upcoming final against Spain, broadcasters are eyeing an even larger viewership, aiming for over 30 million spectators on Sunday night, drawing parallels from the viewership figures during England's heart-wrenching loss in the Euro 2020 finale.

The overnight ratings data, sourced from the ratings agency Digital-i, exclude the multitude of individuals streaming the match on ITVX or viewing it in communal settings. The UK's coverage of Euro 2024 is jointly handled by the BBC and its commercial counterpart ITV. These networks alternate first selections for matches in each round. ITV executives were exultant following Jordan Pickford's heroics in the penalty shootout against Switzerland, guaranteeing ITV another lucrative England fixture and a significant boost in advertising revenue.

Both BBC and ITV are set to broadcast the final, with a notable one-fifth of viewers typically opting for ITV over the BBC. Euro 2024 has demonstrated the enduring allure of sports broadcasting, effectively drawing audiences away from streaming platforms and amassing colossal live viewerships, particularly when the content is freely accessible. Noteworthy viewership figures have been recorded for matches not involving the home nations, with the Spain versus France semi-final on BBC One attracting a peak of 11 million viewers.

The Euros represent one of the UK's premier sporting events classified as "crown jewel" events, alongside esteemed sports competitions such as the football World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Olympics, mandated to be broadcast on free-to-air channels by law. In contrast, various sports have opted for heightened financial support from pay TV channels in exchange for markedly diminished international match audiences. A case in point is the England and Wales cricket board's lobbying efforts during the 2000s to prevent England test matches from being included in the free-to-air broadcast list, resulting in dwindling viewerships like Jimmy Anderson's farewell game against the West Indies at Lords, which garnered a peak viewership of nearly 700,000 behind a paywall on Sky.

The impending final promises to be a riveting spectacle, with all eyes on the showdown between England and Spain, poised to captivate audiences across the nation on both BBC and ITV come Sunday.