The BBC has reported that the FA Cup game between Arsenal and Liverpool broke a viewership record with 7.6 million viewers.
Previously, the record for peak-viewership in this round of the tournament (third-round match) was 7.3 million in a game that saw Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 in 2020.
The recent match, which saw Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium, averaged almost six million viewers (44% share of viewers) and was streamed two million times on BBC iPlayer.
Both Premier League clubs have a rich history in the competition. Liverpool has won the domestic cup seven times whereas Arsenal has won the competition more than any other club, lifting the cup 14 times in total.
Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport, commented: “It’s fantastic to see record audiences for coverage of the FA Cup, a competition with so much history, drama and magic.
“We are dedicated to providing audiences with coverage from right across the tournament, from live matches on TV and iPlayer, to TV highlights and digital clips on the BBC Sport website and social media.”
Slater added: “I can’t wait to see what the rest of the competition has in store.”
Elsewhere in the tie, Manchester City’s 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield Town was streamed 1.3 million times on BBC iPlayer and Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough recorded a peak audience of 3.3 million.
Earlier this month, NBC and Peacock announced that the EPL game between Arsenal and Liverpool broke a viewership record, for the most watched match by English-speaking viewers – boasting 1.96 million average viewers.
