TV Overnights: England’s Euro 2012 qualifier scores 7.1m high for ITV1

ITV1’s Live International Football coverage of the England v Montenegro goal-less game attracted more than 7.1 million peak viewers during the all-important prime-time slot last night.

ITV1 held on to the peak ratings from 8pm onwards and secured an average audience of more than 5.5 million viewers and a 23.3% share during the full two and a half hour-long slot.

Elsewhere, BBC One’s Traffic Cops picked up a decent 3.7 million average viewers and a 15.4% share between 9pm and 10pm, while Ramsay’s Best Restaurants continued with 1.4 million average viewers and a 6.1% share for Channel 4.

At the same time, more than 1.8 million viewers and a 7.6% share tuned in to watch Five’s popular CSI: Miami.

Over on BBC Two, the third episode of Whites pulled in 1.4 million average viewers and a 6% share during the 9pm to 9.30pm slot, before Harry & Paul picked up 1.2 million viewers and a slightly lower 5.1% share in the second half of the peak-hour.

ITV1’s football coverage dominated most of the early evening ratings, although BBC One’s Eastenders managed to outshine ITV1 between 7.30pm and 8pm, in the lead up to England’s kick-off.

A high of more than 9.3 million viewers tuned in to see news of Billie’s death sweep across Albert Square – and the return of his father, Alan (which is played by the original actor Howard Antony).

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.