Over 33 Million People in U.K. Watched Queen Elizabeth II’s Death Announced Live on Television
variety.comK.J. Yossman Over 33 million people watched news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death announced live on television on Thursday evening.
BBC One, ITV, Channel 5, Sky and GB News were in the middle of rolling news reports – prompted by a Buckingham Palace statement citing “concern” for the Queen’s health earlier at that day – when the news broke at 6.30PM local time.
Channel 4 cut from popular British soap “Hollyoaks” while BBC Two was broadcasting women’s athletics when the schedule was interrupted to bring viewers the breaking news. “Across the BBC and major channels carrying news, a total reach of 33m people tuned in between midday and 2am, as the news broke of the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” U.K.
ratings aggregator Overnights TV tweeted. According to figures from the U.K.’s Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), on the BBC alone 11 million viewers were tuned in when broadcaster Huw Edwards announced the Queen had died.
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