There were also 2 million live programme requests across the BBC’s digital platforms.

FA Cup third round

A peak of 9.1 million people tuned in to Leicester City’s FA Cup triumph on the BBC last weekend.

A further two million made live programme requests on the BBC’s digital platforms. Pay-TV provider BT Sport is yet to reveal its viewing figures.

The 9.1 million viewers makes the set-piece event the most-watched football match this season, and is almost a million more than the 8.2 million who watched it on all BBC platforms last year.

The Foxes defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the final, with Youri Tielemans’ impressive strike enough to separate the teams in a tight encounter. It is the first time that Leicester City have won the trophy, and is the first silverware of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure as manager at the King Power Stadium.

It also marked the biggest attendance since lockdowns began, with 21,000 able to watch the game at Wembley.

Upcoming club games before the end of the season, such as the Champions League and Europa League finals, are unlikely to overtake these viewing figures as they are on pay-TV service BT Sport. Although, the broadcaster has made the finals available through YouTube in recent years.

However, it is likely that England’s European Championship matches this summer could end up dwarfing the total.