Chelsea Helps BBC Score Ratings Win Over ITV

Last night’s FA Cup quarter final between Chelsea and Newcastle helped the BBC secure primetime victory over ITV1, notching up an average adult audience of 5.9 million to floor competition from ITV’s police dramas, The Bill and Taggart.

The Bill scored a respectable 5.5 million between 8pm and 9pm, while Taggart followed immediately after, with an average of 5.2 million.

Meanwhile, Channel 4’s Relocation Relocation saw the broadcaster’s largest audience of the evening, drawing just under 3 million.

The Games failed to illicit the same response, however, with an average audience of 1.7 million immediately after Channel 4’s home interest show. Desperate Housewives saw the broadcaster return to form later in the evening, however, drawing 2.7 million between 10pm and 11pm.

Elsewhere, BBC Two’s The Apprentice continued to perform well for the broadcaster, with 3.6 million adults tuning in to see the latest business hopeful given the boot by Alan Sugar.

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, ITV2 and Sky One.

BARB: www.barb.co.uk