World Cup fever has gripped Britain, but it seems some regions have been bitten harder than others. A scorching hot analysis of BBC iPlayer data reveals the areas where football fans are going wild for the beautiful game, with London standing head and shoulders above the rest as the epicentre of fandom.
13 out of 14 postcode districts topping the charts for World Cup viewing were found in or around the capital's bustling streets. In some areas like Southall, Ilford, and East London, a staggering nearly 80% of iPlayer accounts tuned in to catch at least some of the tournament action – a remarkable feat that far exceeds the national average of two-thirds (64%) of UK accounts engaging with World Cup coverage.
But what about outside of London? Manchester stole the show as the second-best postcode district for viewing, followed closely by Luton, Oldham, and Birmingham. However, it's interesting to note that when it comes to matches featuring the home nations, Scottish households were less inclined to tune in for England games compared to their Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts – despite neither nation having made it past the group stages.
It seems kick-off times and superstar players also played a significant role in drawing in massive audiences. France's opening match against Senegal, featuring Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in a prime-time 8:00 PM BST slot, drew an enormous crowd – the second-largest group stage audience across the UK, only surpassed by England's thrilling clash with Ghana.
And it's not just team loyalties driving viewing habits. The data shows that club allegiances are also at play. Manchester, for instance, went wild for matches involving Portugal (thanks in part to Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes) and Norway (with Erling Haaland leading the charge). Meanwhile, Liverpool surged into the top 10 for games featuring Belgium, Netherlands, and Egypt – likely due to the presence of players like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Sunderland took it up a notch, with their postcode area ranking as the top for Tunisia's match against the Netherlands – potentially linked to Brian Brobbey's inclusion in the Dutch squad.
One notable exception to London's dominance was England's dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico – but more on that later...