World Cup 2014 kicks off with peak audience of 12m on ITV

The 2014 FIFA World Cup kicked off with big ratings on ITV on Thursday, overnight data reveals.



ITV's coverage of the opening ceremony and Brazil's win over Croatia scored an average audience of 8.2 million (40.0%) from 7pm. It peaked at 12.5m (51.8%) at around 9.30pm.

The rest of the night's ratings generally dipped due to the World Cup coverage. On BBC One, Celebrity MasterChef continued with 3.5m (16.0%) at 8pm. A Mrs Brown's Boys repeat amused 2.8m (11.8%) at 9.30pm, while Question Time interested 2.2m (15.5%) at 10.35pm.

BBC Two's Springwatch gathered 1.9m (9.2%) at 8pm. Mock the Week returned with 1.0m (4.5%) at 10pm.

On Channel 4, George Clarke's Amazing Spaces brought in 1.1m (5.1%) at 8pm (141,000/0.6% on +1), followed by Benefit Tenants with 1.3m (5.2%) at 9pm (262k/1.2%).

Channel 5's Trauma Doctors attracted 751k (3.1%) at 9pm, followed by Big Brother: Power Trip with 902k (4.3%) at 10pm (124k/1.2%).

On E4, The Big Bang Theory entertained 825k (4.1%) at 8pm (247k/1.0%), while How I Met Your Mother was seen by 524k (2.4%) at 8.30pm (172k/1.0%).

Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull fans complain about sound quality at World Cup Opening Ceremony

The World Cup got off to a faltering start on Thursday night when poor sound quality left many television viewers unable to enjoy the opening ceremony.

Jennifer Lopez took to the stage to sing the official Fifa song We Are One (Ole Ola), looking on fine form for 44.

But while those inside the stadium were able to enjoy her singing, the experience of many at home was hampered by “appalling” sound quality, which left the voices of Lopez and her co-singer Pitbull, the US rapper, sounding faint and “tinny”.

A source at ITV, which broadcast the ceremony in Britain, said that it had “no control” over audio levels because a single feed was distributed around the world.

An ITV spokesman said: "The sound problem that regrettably caused some disruption to viewers was caused by a technical issue with the host broadcaster, which provides the coverage of all the action at this year's World Cup."

ITV studio pelted by demonstrators during game



ITV's studio in Rio de Janeiro was pelted by demonstrators during a live broadcast of the FIFA 2014 World Cup opening game on Thursday (June 12).

Demonstrations against the World Cup have been organised across Brazil over the last 24 hours, and one such protest along the Copacabana Beach resulted in glass windows at the ITV studio being cracked.

Host Adrian Chiles and his guests Patrick Vieira and Fabio Cannavaro told ITV viewers following a commercial break that their studio was one of several that had been targeted just before Brazil's victory over Croatia.

"This demonstration materialised about 10 minutes before the end of the game," Adrian explained to his television audience.



"We were all sitting up here and then suddenly sharp, clattering sounds started greeting our ears and that was them pelting the glass of our studio and other studios around here."

He added: "We did try to explain to them none of this is our fault at ITV Sport!"

Police cracked down on demonstrations in São Paulo earlier in the day, using tear gas in efforts to subdue those angry about money spent on both the FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Some of those taking part in the protests could be seen carrying signs that read "FIFA Go Home".