More than 20 million UK viewers tuned in to watch Germany beat Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday, which was simulcast on BBC One and ITV. The BBC's coverage drew a bigger audience, averaging 12.1 million viewers and peaking with 16.7 million during the match's final five minutes, reports BBC News.
ITV averaged 2.9 million viewers, peaking at 3.9 million in the last 10 minutes before the 90-minute whistle.
Across the coverage, the BBC's audience share was 50.3%, accounting for about three out of four football viewers.
ITV's share was 12.1%, overnight figures showed.
The total numbers are slightly down on 2010's World Cup final, where a peak of 17.9 million fans saw Spain beat the Netherlands on BBC One and 3.8 million on ITV.
It was the most-watched event since the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, which attracted a peak audience of 27.3 million.
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