England’s World Cup Final with Spain was watched by an average of 13.3 million people on TV, a new UK record for a women’s football match.
The viewing figures also represented one of the biggest audiences of the year so far.
Numbers peaked at 14.8 million in the closing minutes of the Lionesses’ 1-0 defeat in Sydney, according to overnight data released by the ratings organisation Barb.
The figures are the combined TV audience from kick-off to final whistle across BBC One and ITV, both of which showed the game live.
Numbers peaked at 14.8 million in the closing minutes of the Lionesses’ 1-0 defeat in Sydney, Captain Millie Bright pictured here
England line up during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final match
It also includes people who watched the match on their TV set using the BBC iPlayer or ITVX, but does not include non-TV devices.
The average TV audience for Sunday’s final was more than two million higher than the previous record for a women’s football match, which was set at the Euro 2022 final at Wembley when just over 11 million viewers watched the Lionesses beat Germany 2-1.
The biggest TV audience of 2023 so far was for the King’s Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6, which was seen by an average of 18.8 million people across 11 channels.
In the men’s 2022 World Cup, England’s quarter-final defeat by France in December attracted an average audience based on overnight ratings of 20.4 million from kick-off to final whistle.
The average TV audience for Sunday’s final was more than two million higher than the previous record for a women’s football match.
Sarina Wiegman’s squad’s stunning success is likely to see players reaping in huge endorsement deals with major companies eager to capitalise on the Lionesses’ ‘positive role model’ status (the team is pictured after their semi-final win)
The match was shown only by ITV and was the year’s most-watched broadcast by a single channel.
But it was still some way behind the combined average TV audience for the Queen’s funeral service at Westminster Abbey in September, which was watched by 26.2 million people across a range of channels including BBC One and Two, ITV and Sky News.
The final of the men’s 2020 Euros – which took place in July 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic – saw overnight ratings averaging 29.8 million.
The match, which ended with England losing to Italy on penalties, was broadcast on both BBC One and ITV and attracted the biggest TV audience since the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.
Branding experts predicted the Lionesses could expect to bag TV and book deals worth hundreds of thousands – with some potentially netting themselves huge endorsements from fashion giants and celebrities keen to get a Lioness on board.
PR guru Sean O’Meara said it’s ‘never been a better time to be a Lioness’, while Nick Ede, brand and culture expert, claimed England’s own golden goalkeeper Mary Earps could soon lead the pack after being hailed the best goalie at the World Cup.
And England’s heroic goalkeeper Mary Earps could be ‘well on her way’ to making ‘more than a million pounds’ following her performance in the World Cup, which saw her being awarded the coveted Golden Gloves award as she was named the best keeper in the tournament
The Lionesses celebrated reaching their maiden World Cup final, and England’s first in nearly 60 years, by dancing to Sweet Caroline today -with PR gurus claiming the squad were now admired as role models for young girls and women
‘The Lionesses can command up to half a million during this golden window of opportunity for them,’ he told MailOnline. ‘Like with any group of people there will always be ones that brands pick out and want more than others and I can see that Mary could be well on her way to making over a million with brand endorsements, public speaking engagements and TV deals too.’
He claimed fashion and cosmetic brands will be looking to sign up the Lionesses, with social media plugs by England players potentially netting them between £5,000 and £10,000 a post – with a six-month deal earning upwards of £100,000.
He added Earps ‘shone’ during the World Cup and that although Nike refused to print her team shirt, it was now a ‘golden opportunity for other disruptor brands to come in and scoop her up as a brand ambassador’.
‘As a positive role model she has a really big chance of making a lot of money in many categories from cosmetics brands, lifestyle and healthcare brands too,’ Mr Ede said.
‘The big players who have lots of money to spend like insurance companies and banks will love her for brand recognition and positive impact. I can also see someone like Kim Kardashian utilising them to further her Skims brand in the UK and cement its inclusive message.’
The brand expert said the reason the Lionesses were so ‘attractive’ to business and advertisers was because they had a ‘clean and positive inclusive attitude’ which was ‘very appealing’.
‘I can see one or two of them walking down the catwalk at London Fashion Week for a big fashion house, perhaps Victoria Beckham,’ he added.
‘As role models they are the perfect players for car brands looking to encourage female purchasers and I can see household names like Persil wanting to jump on the brand bandwagon and sign them up too.’
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