A peak audience of six million viewers tuned in to watch Scotland lose 1-0 to Morocco in the World Cup on Friday.
The figure was achieved across ITV, STV, ITVX and STV Player, with a peak of 1.2 million viewers on STV in Scotland, making it the most-watched television event on the channel since the team took on Germany in the opening game of Euro 2024, according to overnight figures.
Richard Williams, managing director of audience at STV, said: “In spite of the disappointing result, it’s clear from the viewing figures that the nation was right behind Steve Clarke’s men for last night’s tense clash with Morocco – no other group of supporters comes close.
“It’s been great to have Scotland back in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the ratings prove that shared experiences like this can bring audiences together like nothing else.”
At its peak, the match had an 81% share of TV viewing.
The game saw Scotland trail after PSV Eindhoven striker Ismael Saibari scored the fastest goal of the World Cup so far 70 seconds after kick off, and they were unable to reply at Boston Stadium.
It comes after Scotland defeated Haiti 1-0 last Sunday thanks to a goal from Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn.
A number of famous faces have flown out to the World Cup, which is being hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico, to support Scotland, including singer Sir Rod Stewart and TV presenter Lorraine Kelly.
Scotland will hope to qualify for the round of 32 when they take on Brazil on Wednesday.
