Over the weekend of April 20th and 21st, ITV, the prominent UK commercial broadcaster, captivated substantial audiences spanning entertainment, sports, and drama.
The launch episodes of Britain’s Got Talent Season 17 garnered an impressive viewership, attracting over 12 million viewers collectively. The first episode on April 20th peaked at 5.8 million viewers (with an average of 5 million) and a 39 per cent share, while the second episode peaked at 5.2 million viewers (with an average of 4.5 million) and a 32 per cent share. Additionally, Britain’s Got Talent content tailored for social media platforms has amassed an impressive 25 million video views.
In the realm of sports, the FA Cup semi-final clash between Manchester United and Coventry City on April 21st seized the attention of viewers, with The Red Devils emerging victorious in a heart-wrenching penalty shootout. The match peaked at 7.1 million viewers (with an average of 4.4 million) and commanded a 41 per cent share of the audience. This marks ITV’s second-highest overnight rating this year, following the quarter-final encounter between Liverpool and Manchester United on March 17th.
In the realm of drama, the debut of Red Eye featuring Jing Lusi and Richard Armitage garnered a peak viewership of 4.1 million (with an average of 3.7 million). Based on overnight ratings alone, this establishes it as ITV’s third most-watched drama of the year, trailing behind Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Vera.
Furthermore, the finale of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway has reached a consolidated viewership of 5.9 million, surpassing last year’s finale figures. The series consistently dominated its time slot every weekend, except for one.
