The 3D broadcast of the Strictly Come Dancing finale attracted nearly three times as many viewers as the BBC’s first trial, when it aired the Wimbledon finals this summer.
The main show drew an audience of 53,000 to the BBC HD channel across the 7pm hour slot on Saturday night, peaking with 71,500 at its close.
The results show, which aired at 9pm, saw an average of 27,000 tune in, peaking at 37,000 to see McFly’s Harry Judd pick up the coveted glitter ball trophy.
Both shows smashed the BBC’s previous figures for 3D viewing, when 18,000 saw Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal and Petra Kvitova defeat Maria Sharapova at the summer’s top tennis tournament.
Wimbledon was the first time the BBC had broadcast an event in 3D and is expected to pave the way for coverage of the Olympics next year.
Strictly was the first time a free-to-air channel had broadcast an entertainment show in the medium, and it will be the first time a show is available in 3D via iPlayer.
While Wimbledon received mixed reviews, comments on the Strictly blog so far suggest a largely positive experience, with viewers describing it as “amazing” and “excellent”.
It was also aired in 19 cinemas up and down the country, seen by 4,000 viewers.
A BBC spokesman said: “This year’s Strictly final was a real event and it’s great to see the figures for 3D doing so well alongside the BBC1 show and live cinema screenings.”
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