As ITV enjoys huge World Cup audiences, its growing overlap with Sky offers a glimpse of the future post-merger.
ITV has achieved a two-year viewing high after England’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final win against Norway drew 18 million viewers.
The free-to-air broadcaster said the record is the largest audience on any UK channel or streaming platform this year, surpassing the 16.4 million viewers who watched England’s opening group-stage match against Croatia.
The record figures arrive a week after Sky agreed a deal worth up to £1.6bn to acquire ITV, combining free-to-air broadcasting, advertising-funded streaming and subscription television, in addition to Sky’s broadband, mobile and business services operations.
As part of the acquisition, Sky pledged to preserve the broadcaster’s free-to-air access while investing further in its streaming platform, ITVX.
In the UK, major international football tournaments are available free-to-air through rights-sharing agreements between the BBC and ITV.
With the government also proposing to strengthen protections around access to major sporting events last month, the latest viewing figures demonstrate the value of the potential acquisition.
England delivers
England’s run to the latter stages of the World Cup has provided ITV with the two biggest television audiences of 2026 so far.
While audiences for domestic football have become fragmented across subscription broadcasters and streaming services, international tournaments attract mass audiences on free-to-air television.
The BBC holds the rights to England’s semi-final against Argentina on 15 July, potentially allowing the broadcaster to overtake ITV’s record due to it being played at 8pm – a more sociable time than that of other matches.
England’s last-16 victory over Mexico kicked off in the early hours of Monday morning UK time due to the game being played in Mexico and weather disruptions, limiting the audience despite the significance of the fixture.
Should England reach the final, both ITV and the BBC will broadcast the game, creating the biggest audience test of the tournament and allowing viewers to compare each broadcaster’s coverage side by side.
Comparisons have already been made with some viewers critical of the BBC’s decision to keep pundits in Salford, whereas ITV has a studio in the US. Another comparison has been around the commentary for matches.
Sky and ITV are sharing football’s biggest voices
Although the acquisition is still awaiting regulatory approval, the lines between the two broadcasters have already started to blur.
Sky’s coverage of the World Cup has regularly featured analysis from members of ITV’s punditry team, with figures such as Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright all appearing prominently throughout the tournament. Neville has spoken to Sky Sports during the World Cup while continuing his role with ITV.
The former Manchester United defender, Keane and Wright are also regular faces on Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage. If Sky’s acquisition is approved, that crossover is likely to become even more common.
