BBC's FA Cup final coverage nets peak of nearly 9 million

The FA Cup final returned to the BBC after a six-year absence with a peak audience of nearly 9 million viewers for Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa.

Arsenal’s second FA Cup win in succession netted a live match average of just over 8 million viewers from 5.30pm on Saturday and a 15-minute peak of 8.8 million.

Its average audience was up on the 7.7 million viewers who saw Arsenal’s 3-2 extra time win over Hull City on ITV last year, but fell short of last year’s peak of 9.3 million.

The BBC won back the rights to the competition last year in a joint £200m deal with BT Sport.

Saturday’s match was the highest average audience for an FA Cup final since 2012, when an average of 8.9 million viewers and a 15-minute peak of 10.4 million watched Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Liverpool.

Saturday’s match was also up on the audience for the last time the final was shown on BBC1, Portsmouth’s 1-0 win over Cardiff City which drew a match average of 7.3 million in 2008.

ITV took the rights to the FA Cup after the 2008 final, with audience figures for the final initially dipping by 2 million the following year.

It subsequently recovered, prompted by a switch from the traditional 3pm kick-off time to a primetime early evening berth in 2012, which it has retained ever since.

FA Cup final in (audience) numbers*

2015 - 8 million BBC1, Arsenal 4, Aston Villa 0

2014 - 7.7m million ITV, Arsenal 3 Hull City 2

2013 - 7.2 million ITV, Wigan 1 Manchester City 0

2012 - 8.9 million ITV, Chelsea 2, Liverpool 1

2011 - 6.8 million ITV, Manchester City 1 Stoke City 0

2010 - 5.6 million ITV, Chelsea 1 Portsmouth 0

2009 - 5.3 million ITV, Chelsea 2 Everton 1

2008 - 7.3 million BBC1, Portsmouth 1 Cardiff 0

2007 - 9.9 million BBC1, Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0

2006 - 8.8 million BBC1, Liverpool 3 West Ham United 3 (Liverpool won on penalties)

* Live match average