TV Overnights: Saturday’s Match of the Day goal-spectacular scores 6m viewers
A high of more than 6.1 million viewers tuned in to Saturday night’s Match of the Day to see the 41 goals scored in the Premier League – the most goals scored on a Saturday in Premier League history (since it was established in 1992).
The BBC One programme secured 5.2 million average viewers and a 31.8% average audience share between 10.30pm and 11.50pm, ending BBC One’s full-day peak run with highlights from the Newcastle v Arsenal draw, Man United’s loss and the eventful Everton v Blackpool match.
The channel banked the top ratings throughout the Saturday schedule, with the exception of a one-hour slot at 6.30pm, which saw ITV1’s New You’ve Been Framed! attract 5.4 million viewers and Harry Hill’s TV Burp pull in 5.2 million viewers.
BBC One’s Six Nations Rugby coverage dominated the daytime ratings, peaking with 3.8 million viewers, while The National Lottery: In It to Win It picked up 6.8 million viewers and Casualty pulled in 6.1 million viewers during the evening slots.
On Sunday, BBC One’s football coverage banked its fair share of daytime ratings – with Match of the Day Live scoring over 3 million viewers. However, ITV1 managed to win the prime time ratings with Dancing on Ice and Wild at Heart.
This week’s Dancing on Ice peaked with 8.3 million viewers, before Wild at Heart attracted a high of 6.9 million viewers. The Skate Off followed with 6.8 million viewers at 9.30pm.
BBC One’s line-up didn’t trail far behind – the penultimate Lark Rise to Candleford achieved an average audience of more than 6.1 million viewers between 8pm and 9pm.
Last night’s TV schedule also saw a new four-part drama air on Channel 4. The Promise, a drama following the parallel stories of an 18-year-old Londoner on a visit to a present-day Israel and her grandfather, a soldier in 1940s Palestine, debuted with 1.9 million peak viewers and a 7% average audience share between 9pm and 10.45pm.
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.