BBC One Six Nations Rugby peaks at 9m for Ireland’s victory
Saturday saw a severe case of rugby fever descend across the nation as BBC One celebrated the culmination of the Six Nations Rugby championship by delivering an entire afternoon of heated action.
First up at 12:10pm, Italy faced-off against Wales all the way from Stadio Olimpico in Rome. An average audience of 3 million viewers watched as the Welsh team beat Italy by an impressive 61-20 points, resulting in a 34 % share.
The intensity spiked at 2:25pm as Ireland and Scotland met for an explosive game at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. The second game of the day saw the audience jump to 4.4 million viewers and a 38% share, with Ireland all but securing their victory.
Just for the hell of it, there was a third bonus game afterwards at 4:30pm, with BBC One allowing England a novelty attempt at the Six Nations title. Broadcast live from Twickenham, the game saw the rugby audience swell all the way to 7 million viewers and a 41% share tuning in for the entire game.
Interest peaked at around 6:45pm, with the audience growing briefly to 9.3 million viewers as Ireland lifted the shiny new trophy after a relentless campaign.
Outside of the world of testosterone-fuelled violence athleticism, there was some more competitive warbling in The Voice UK (BBC One, 7:30pm), a show which gave the broadcaster’s Six Nations coverage a run for its money.
7.1 million viewers – the weekend’s biggest audience – watched as Will.i.am and the other histrionic-friendly judges stretched the drama out to two whole hours of sameness, resulting in a 33% share.
Just to annoy those viewers who had their fill of blood soaked tournaments and tear soaked talent shows, 9:30pm saw BBC One offer up some more karaoke action with another 35 minutes of The Voice UK Results. 5.7 million viewers and a 30% share just gave up all hope of a better life and continued watching.
Meanwhile, ITV’s biggest hit of the day came in the minute but durable form of Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly’s special brand of stinky Saturday night cheesiness. The latest hijinks and surprise appearances from ITV-owned Z list celebrities on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway netted 4.6 million viewers and a 22% share.
There was a significant change of pace on Sunday as the schedule became a lot less colourful and a lot more sentimental and cosy.
There was a sense the weekend was well and truly over when Channel 4 kicked off a ceremonial procession for a former Monarch that died over 500 years ago. Richard III: The Return of the King (5:10pm) was watched by a little over 1 million viewers (a 6% share) and made BBC One’s Countryfile positively exciting in comparison.
The agricultural extravaganza kicked off at 7pm and easily brought in Sunday’s biggest audience as 6.4 million viewers and a 30% share caught up with the latest slice of the grown up Blue Peter.
Afterwards, Antiques Roadshow (8pm) and Fiona Bruce netted 5.6 million and a 24% share.
At the same time Channel 4, exhausted after another full week of trying to be edgy and trendy, revealed its true middle-aged and comfy personality with another episode of Great Canal Journeys (8pm).
1.5 million viewers and a 6% share watched as Timothy West and Prunella Scales explored the London Ring together.
At 9pm, the third episode of Poldark saw the daring challenger of the status quo whipping off his shirt again, this time while doing a spot of gardening. Regardless of the silly plot and hammy monologues, certain scenes sent the fickle audience into a flurry on Twitter.
6.2 million viewers watched as Ross Poldark – a man who plays by his own rules, don’t you know? – got ever closer to kitchen urchin Demelza, resulting in a 27% share.
At the same time, BBC Two offered up something completely different as Louis Theroux: By Reason of Insanity (9pm) invited viewers to end their weekend by listening to some harrowing tales of murder. 1.9 million joined Louis as he interviewed baby killers in Ohio’s maximum security state psychiatric hospital, resulting in an 8% share.
There was some more historical drama to round off the weekend, with Mr Selfridge bringing in 3.3 million viewers and a 14% share on ITV, while Channel 4’s Indian Summers continued to struggle with 965,000 viewers and a 4% share.
Overnight data is available each morning in mediatel.co.uk’s TV Database, with all BARB registered subscribers able to view reports for terrestrial networks and key multi-channel stations. Overnight data supplied by TRP are based on 15 minute slot averages. This may differ from tape checked figures, which are based on a programme’s actual start and end time.
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