Lionesses Euro final win draws the UK’s most watched 2025 TV moment
- Text by Ella Glossop
- Photography by Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock
Bringing it home again — 12.2 million people tuned in to watch England women’s football team beat out Spain on the BBC, with a strong showing from young fans.
England’s dramatic victory over Spain in the Euro 2025 final has become the UK’s most watched television moment of the year so far, drawing a peak live audience of 12.2 million across all BBC platforms. The Lionesses, managed by Sarina Wiegman, retained their title after a nail-biting penalty shootout following a 1 – 1 draw in Basel, Switzerland.
The match drew an impressive peak of 11.6 million viewers on BBC One alone, representing 59% of all TV audiences at that time. The game was also broadcast on ITV, but the bulk of the viewing took place on the BBC. Streaming numbers were equally impressive, with 4.2 million streams on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Additionally, the BBC Sport live page recorded 11.4 million views during the game.
Overall, the BBC’s coverage of the entire tournament reached a massive 22.1 million viewers, and BBC Sport’s social media platforms generated a combined total of 231 million views. Around 20% of viewers were between the ages of 16 and 35, bringing strong engagement from young people.
“This final was a landmark moment in sporting history,” said BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski. “The kind of moment people will remember exactly where they were when they watched it. The incredible Lionesses took us on an emotional rollercoaster, and millions were hooked on BBC coverage from start to finish — from live streaming and post-match analysis to millions following our live page and younger audiences in huge numbers on social media.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was quick to offer up his congratulations on social media, calling the team “history makers” in a statement on X. As Leader of the Opposition, he had previously called upon the previous Conservative government to give England a bank holiday if they won the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. Currently though, he has remained silent on the issue.
“It’s almost 60 years since England won the World Cup,” the then leader of opposition wrote at the time on X. “I’m never complacent about anything… but there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home.”
Ella Glossop is Huck’s social lead. Follow her on Bluesky.
Buy your copy of Huck 81 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
Inside Parkuir: the art project queering sport, space and our bodies
Lie and play — Founded by Maria Laudes and Guiu Gimeno, it provides a framework for engaging, subverting, and celebrating the small details that make people unique – and queer.
Written by: Molly Lipson
London’s largest indoor skatepark to be demolished for padel courts
Better Extreme — The Barking skatepark’s fate follows that of similar indoor spaces in recent years, with operators GLL citing falling visitor numbers as the reason behind the decision.
Written by: Isaac Muk
In the pit at one of the UK’s last stock car & banger speedways
Stock Car Racing Isn’t Dead — Photographer Liam McCarthy spent time in and around the Arlington Raceway’s circuit, capturing the diehard community that keeps the sport alive.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Burning rubber with the Middle East’s women rally racers
Ripping dirt — Across the Middle East and North Africa, women are increasingly chasing the thrill of speed, competition and freedom that comes with driving on gruelling terrain, as well as podium positions. Roxana Diba speaks to trailblazers of the scene, who are reshaping ideas of what women are capable of behind the wheel.
Written by: Roxana Diba
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain
Vandalism on a Grand Scale — Capturing youth unemployment and poverty in north-east England during the ’80s, the photographer never lived to see her work published. A new photobook by British Culture Archive brings her eye-opening work to light.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The London sword fighters reviving medieval combat
Schola Gladitoria — Studying ancient textbooks and techniques, the historical European martial arts community duel with centuries old systems of engagement. Mads Jensen swings a blade in an Ealing church to find out more.
Written by: Mads Jensen
