First India vs England Test match reaches six million viewers on Channel 4

11 February 2021

• Peak audience of 1.7 million on third day’s play
• Huge average audiences despite 4am start
• Two million views of cricket coverage help All 4 to its best week ever
• Ebony Rainford-Brent joins Channel 4’s team for the second Test
• Cricket highlights programme to air on More4 as well as All 4

England’s thrilling win against India in the opening match of the Test series reached nearly six million viewers on Channel 4.

Four of the five days’ play attracted peak audiences of more than one million with day three peaking at 1.7 million. And despite the early 4am start, audiences averaged at more than 500,000 throughout the entire five days.

The popularity of the return of free to air coverage also drove large numbers to All 4 which has secured more than two million views of live and highlights coverage. The cricket helped All 4 to its largest week ever (w/c Monday 1st February).

Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said: “The numbers coming to the cricket on All 4 and Channel 4 have been remarkable. I’m thrilled that millions of people were able to enjoy England’s brilliant victory over India in the first Test on Channel 4 and All 4.

“The growing audiences we saw through the Test - and in particular the strong shares of children and 16-34s viewing - were a reminder of the broad appeal Test cricket has when it is available on free to air television.

“Hopefully the thrilling action from India will engage a new generation of children with the game - and ease the lockdown blues for the rest of us over the next few weeks.”

Across the five days, coverage reached a total of 5.8 million people which included more than 1m under 35s. And the match’s average share of viewers aged under 16 was 10% and 13% for 16-34s, a large increase on shares usually associated with Test cricket.

Views on All 4 grew throughout the Test rising from more than 300,00 views of live and highlights coverage on the opening day to nearly half a million views on day five. The cricket highlights on All 4 have attracted more than 600,000 views since the Test began.

And Channel 4 is also delighted to announce that Ebony Rainford-Brent will join presenter Rishi Persad for the duration of Channel 4’s coverage of the second Test match. Ebony will provide analysis and expert insight alongside Sir Andrew Strauss.

Live coverage of the second match of the Test series will be available on All 4 and Channel 4. A highlights programme will also be available on All 4 and will also broadcast twice daily on More4. The first highlights programme on More4 airs at 1.15pm on Saturday 13 February, repeated at 12.10am on Sunday 14 February. Daily highlights will be repeated in similar time slots for the remainder of the second Test.