Wales’ win over England attracts more TV viewers than Chelsea cup tie against Manchester United

Wales’ victory over England in Cardiff was watched by one of the largest television audiences for a Six Nations match in recent years.

The BBC announced on Monday that the peak figure for the pulsating encounter on Saturday evening was 8.9million. 

It was the fourth-highest audience for a championship fixture on the BBC since the start of the 2013 campaign, with the record of 9.6m set for England’s tournament finale against France back in 2015.

The peak figure for the pulsating encounter in Cardiff on Saturday evening was 8.9million

Matches between England and Wales are popular, especially those staged in Cardiff. The 2013 match was watched by 9.5m viewers while the peak audience in 2017 was 9.2m.

The tense encounter at the Principality Stadium between the two rivals also eclipsed the BBC’s live coverage of Manchester United’s clash with Chelsea in the FA Cup five days earlier, which peaked at 8.1m. 

The latest figures come at a time of speculation about future Six Nations TV rights deals, although new chief executive Ben Morel has indicated his support for the terrestrial broadcasting status quo. 

England led 10-3 at half-time and appeared destined to add Wales to their impressive list of emphatic results against Ireland and France, only to come apart at the seams after the interval.

Second-row Cory Hill forced his way over in the 68th minute after a lengthy period of Welsh resurgence to seize the lead for the first time, his team thriving amid the arrival of replacement fly-half Dan Biggar from the bench to direct the final quarter. 

It outdrew the live coverage of Chelsea against Manchester United in the FA Cup last week