- Italy-England match is up 43 percent from 2016 Final; audience peaked at 8,199,000 viewers during penalty kick shootout
- EURO Final is the most-viewed soccer telecast in the United States since July 2019
- EURO 2020 averages 1,363,000 viewers thru all 51 matches on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, a 31 percent increase from 2016
Sunday’s UEFA EURO 2020 Final on ESPN – a thrilling penalty shootout victory for Italy over England, set a record as the most-watched European Football Championship match ever in the United States with an average audience of 6,488,000 viewers. The audience for the Final increased 43 percent over the 2016 Final and surpassed the previous viewership high of 4,567,000 for the EURO 2012 Final (Spain vs. Italy).
The EURO Final is also the most-viewed soccer telecast in the United States since July 2019.
Sunday’s audience peaked during the penalty shootout with 8,199,000 viewers.
UEFA EURO Final Viewership in the U.S.:
| Date | Matchup | Network | Viewers (P2+) |
| July 11, 2021 | Italy vs. England | ESPN | 6,488,000 |
| July 1, 2012 | Spain vs. Italy | ESPN | 4,567,000 |
| July 10, 2016 | Portugal vs. France | ESPN | 4,538,000 |
| June 29, 2008 | Germany vs. Spain | ABC | 4,133,000 |
***The audience in this report reflects match windows
Through all 51 matches of UEFA EURO 2020, ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 delivered an average audience of 1,363,000 viewers, a 31 percent increase over the 2016 event on ESPN and ESPN2 (1,039,000 viewers).
Round-by-round audience highlights for UEFA EURO 2020:
- Group Stage: 36 matches on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 averaged 870,000 viewers, a 23 percent increase (vs. 707,000 viewers for EURO 2016);
- Round of 16: Eight matches on ABC and ESPN averaged 1,816,000 viewers, a 38 percent increase compared to 1,317,000 viewers in 2016;
- Quarterfinals: An average audience of 2,018,000 viewers watched the four matches on ABC and ESPN, a 16 percent increase compared to 2016 (1,737,000);
- Semifinals: ESPN averaged audience of 2,561,000 viewers, up 37 percent from 2016 on ESPN (1,876,000 viewers)
Top-10 EURO matches since ABC/ESPN began carrying the UEFA European Championship in 2008:
| Date | Matchup | Network | Viewers (P2+) |
| Sun, July 11, 2021 | Italy vs. England (Final) | ESPN | 6,488,000 |
| Sun, July 1, 2012 | Spain vs. Italy (Final) | ESPN | 4,567,000 |
| Sun, July 10, 2016 | Portugal vs. France (Final) | ESPN | 4,538,000 |
| Sun, June 29, 2008 | Germany vs. Spain (Final) | ABC | 4,133,000 |
| Sun, June 24, 2012 | England vs. Italy (Quarterfinal) | ESPN | 3,103,000 |
| Wed, July 7, 2021 | England vs. Denmark (Semifinal) | ESPN | 2,661,000 |
| Sun, June 17, 2021 | Belgium vs. Portugal (Round of 16) | ABC | 2,653,000 |
| Sat, July 3, 2021 | Ukraine vs. England (Quarterfinal) | ABC | 2,534,000 |
| Tue, July 6, 2021 | Italy vs. Spain (Semifinal) | ESPN | 2,461,000 |
| Fri, July 2, 2021 | Belgium vs. Italy (Quarterfinal) | ESPN | 2,368,000 |
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