England's Rugby World Cup final watched by two thirds of viewers
ITV says a peak audience of 12.8 million tuned in for the most watched TV moment of the year
England may have lost out in a 12-32 defeat to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday, but ITV will be counting themselves winners after their exclusive UK coverage of the match between 8:50am and 12:15pm predictably trounced competitors, pulling in over two-thirds of those watching TV during that period.
While Saturday morning may not be the most competitive time of the week, an average audience of 8.9 million and a massive peak of 12.8m demonstrated just how much England's progress to the final had captured the interest of the nation.
Sixty-seven per cent of those watching TV at that time chose the early broadcast from the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, with 79 per cent tuning in at its height for what ITV say was the most watched TV moment on any channel so far this year, and the biggest audience for a rugby match since the 2007 World Cup Final in which England suffered a slightly narrower defeat, also at the hands of South Africa.
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