The Most Watched TV Of All Time In The UK

There’s nothing quite like chilling out in front of the box. Whether you’re watching everyday news items or those huge, street-emptying events, it’s fair to say that television is something that’s punctuated our whole lives and continues to do so.

If you’ve ever wondered which TV programs are the most watched of all time in the UK, you’re in luck, as that’s exactly what we’re covering in today’s post. In addition, if you are looking to get your campaign on TV, we also want to introduce you to our platform that will help streamline your goals as a company, regardless of the viewing figures you’re working with.

Without further ado, here are the most watched TV events that have been categorised either by TV special events or general UK TV broadcasts.

TV Special Events

  1. 1966 Fifa World Cup Final (England Vs West Germany) - 32.3 million
  2. Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales - 32.10 million
  3. Royal Family (documentary) - 30.69 million
  4. UEFA Euro 2020 Final (Italy Vs England) - 29.85 million
  5. Apollo 13 Splashdown - 28.60 million
  6. 1970 FA Cup Final replay (Chelsea Vs Leeds United) - 28.49 million
  7. Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer - 28.40 million
  8. Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips - 27.60 million
  9. Boris Johnson’s address on Covid-19 - 27.10 million
  10. London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony - 24.46 million

UK TV Broadcasts

  1. Eastenders (Angie & Den divorce papers) - 30.15 million
  2. Eastenders (the following episode to Den serving Angie with divorce papers) - 28 million
  3. Coronation Street (Hilda Odgen leaves Weatherfield) - 26.65 million
  4. Live Aid - 24.50 million
  5. Only Fools and Horses (Time On Our Hands) - 24.35 million
  6. Eastenders (Arthur Fowler, Pauline Fowler, Mark Fowler HIV story) - 24.30 million
  7. Royal Variety Performance 1965 - 24.20 million
  8. Eastenders (Angie suffers a renal shutdown) - 24.15 million
  9. To The Manor Born (series finale) - 23.95 million
  10. Miss World 1967 - 23.76 million

How Are TV Audiences Measured?

TV audience measurement is calculated by BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board). There are two main ways BARB collects audience data, depending on whether the program is being watched live or on-demand through streaming services.

For live TV, the BARB panel is made up of a number of carefully selected households, totalling 5,100 households and 12,000 individuals across the UK. From there, the data reported from each household can then be scaled to give accurate viewing figures for the entire nation. The panel method also allows BARB to understand more about the audience demographics in terms of age, gender and general background - all of which helps to learn more about who is watching certain TV programs.

TV Audience Figures And TV Advertising

Audience data matters for TV advertising, and for several reasons. The main reason being that audience figures dictate how much an advertising slot can be sold for, namely that BARB audience data, in particular, is the currency that is used to trade TV advertising. Airtime is sold on a cost per thousand viewers basis, with the number of impacts BARB reports for a slot determining its cost.

Another aspect to consider in terms of audience figures are audience demographics. As noted with BARB’s work, it’s not just about the amount of people viewing a program that matters to advertisers, but also the types of people. Understanding the typical viewer profile helps advertisers to align their campaigns, so that they can align their products and services with the right profile demographic, which will vary dramatically based on the TV advertising slot that they choose.

Make Your TV Advertising More Successful With Adalyser

There’s a lot that goes into making a TV advert successful, and like with any type of marketing campaign, this includes understanding your target demographic, and having the ability to analyse real-time data relating to your campaign.

Adalyser is an online platform offering all the tools needed to get up and running with TV advertising. From objective driven research and planning tools to unrivalled measurement capabilities, Adalyser has everything you need to research, plan, implement, measure and optimise your TV campaigns. We’ve worked with hundreds of companies, including Britbox, Betfred, Uswitch, Wowcher, eharmony and many more.

Want to find out more? Book in for your free product demo today. You can also drop us an email at sales@adalyser.com or give us a call on + 44 (0) 333 666 7366 if you’d like to speak to our friendly team directly. We look forward to helping you maximise your TV campaign success!