World Cup final viewing figures revealed as fans make overwhelming choice between BBC and ITV

THE BBC came out on top in their World Cup battle against ITV after a peak of 15.8million tuned in to watch Spain beat Argentina. Ferran Torres netted in extra time to seal a famous 1-0 win at the MetLife Stadium as Spain added a second star to their shirt. The BBC overcame ITV in the World Cup final viewing battle with a peak audience of 15.8m Credit: BBC ITV had a peak of just 3.4m as fans made a clear choice for Spain’s win over Argentina Credit: ITV It certainly wasn’t an all-time classic as the Spaniards dominated while Argentina went the entire 120 without a shot on target. Fans had a choice between watching the final ad free on BBC or switch over to ITV. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! And the BBC was the clear winner on the night with an average viewership of 13.9m watching the epic showdown, according to BBC figures. They trounced ITV, who only had a peak viewership of 3.4m. READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP The Beeb also claimed they had 11.1m streams on the iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app – which included 2.4m watching in Ultra HD. They enjoyed big numbers despite England not being in the final as Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards appeared on punditry duty. There was also a controversial half time spectacle starring the likes of Shakira, Justin Bieber and Madonna – which Rooney wasn’t a fan of. There were record viewing figures for the team’s 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina, with 24m watching on in agony. Most read in Sport The Three Lions had played in the dead-rubber third-placed play-off against France the previous day. BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards entertained fans on punditry duty Credit: BBC But it ended up being a barnstorming game as a peak of 11.8m watched Thomas Tuchel‘s men win 6-4 in a topsy-turvy contest. The BBC also revealed they had reached 42.8m viewers overall across the World Cup, with fans streaming matches 237m times. The broadcaster’s biggest day of the competition was England’s 3-2 win over Mexico in the Round of 16 as the website and app had 15m unique viewers – despite airing at 2am. BBC Sport chief Alex Kay-Jelski said the numbers were “extraordinary” and summed up “the power of free-to-air sport”. He said: “This has been a World Cup we’ll never forget, and that’s entirely down to the millions of people who chose to experience it with the BBC. Spain were dominant in the showpiece at the MetLife Stadium in New York Credit: Getty Fans were also left divided on the controversial half-time show featuring some big names Credit: PA “We wanted to tell the stories behind the tournament, bring fans closer to the biggest moments and innovate in ways that made the experience richer than ever before. “The response has been extraordinary, and we’re incredibly grateful that so many people made the BBC part of their World Cup.” This summer‘s FIFA World Cup has become a huge milestone for BBC Sport, with record audiences across television, streaming, digital, audio and social media. “More importantly, it showed the enduring power of free-to-air sport to unite millions of people around shared moments, unforgettable memories and a love of the game.” Comment now