ITV Takes Early Lead in World Cup Ratings Battle

The opening week of the World Cup has delivered a ratings upset off the pitch, with ITV outperforming BBC in the battle for television audiences. The commercial broadcaster's strategic lineup of group stage fixtures, headlined by England's 4-2 victory over Croatia, secured four of the five most-watched matches of the tournament so far. England's clash with Croatia in Dallas attracted a peak audience of 15.4 million on ITV, making it the highest UK TV viewing figure of the year. The Three Lions'...