Trafalgar Square Giant Screen Attracts Crowds

Thousands gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square to watch England’s exit from the World Cup on a giant screen this morning. This was thought to be the first time such a screen has been provided in the Central London venue, but the fans who gathered, along with those watching in pubs and cafes, will not register on BARB’s official viewing figures.

The giant screen was sponsored by foreign exchange company Travelex and showed ITV’s coverage of the Brazil-England clash. However, elsewhere ITV was expected to face a boycott as fans chose to watch the BBC in protest against ITV groups Carlton and Granada, whose jointly owned ITV Digital closed owing UK football clubs £178.5m (see Football League Kicks Off Action Against ITV Digital Owners).

Last weekend’s England-Denmark match saw the BBC gain around four times as many viewers as ITV (see BBC Scores Against ITV In World Cup Coverage), but media commentators have suggested that as BARB does not monitor TV viewing in public venues such as bars, the real extent of the country’s World Cup fever will never be known.

BARB: 020 7529 5531 www.barb.co.uk BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.co.uk

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