England vs USA Women's World Cup semi-final has highest peak audience of any TV show this year
The Lionesses may not have taken home the trophy, but they did break records with their viewing figures
The Women's World Cup semi-final between England and the USA has attracted the highest peak audience of any TV show so far this year – an achievement hailed by the Lionesses as a "watershed moment."
A peak audience of 11.73 million tuned in to watch England's 2-1 defeat on Tuesday 2nd July, beating the Line of Duty series finale in May which peaked with 9.6 million viewers.
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The BBC's broadcast attracted an average audience of 8.81 million. Those figures exclude the many people who watched on BBC iPlayer, as well as those who followed the match in public spaces or pubs.
Such impressive viewing figures suggest a growing enthusiasm for women's football among the public, with earlier World Cup matches racking up significant numbers – including last week's England v Norway match, which peaked at 7.64 million.
"This is getting us through today," the Women's team's official twitter account wrote.
Sports presenter Gabby Logan called the viewing figures "a fitting tribute to the Lionesses inspiring campaign."
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