TNT Sports has reported higher viewing figures for the FA Cup third round than any of its Premier League matches this season, underlining the competition's continued appeal. Data obtained by the Guardian shows that Brighton’s 3-1 win over Manchester United on 19 January attracted an average audience of 876,000, with a total reach of 2.1 million viewers watching for at least three minutes.
The Sunday afternoon fixture at Old Trafford captured almost 10% of the television viewing audience at the time. TNT’s live Premier League games this season have been scheduled on Saturday lunchtimes and midweek evenings, whereas the FA Cup tie benefited from a prime slot.
The FA faced criticism for selling the FA Cup rights to TNT, a subscription channel, for the current four-year cycle, having previously shared them between the BBC and ITV. However, early figures suggest the competition is holding its own. Twenty-two third-round ties broadcast live on TNT Sports or Discovery+ attracted nearly five million viewers.
TNT has sub-licensed 14 FA Cup ties to the BBC, giving the free-to-air channel shared coverage from the third round to the semi-finals. The BBC’s peak audience of 3.1 million watched Aston Villa’s win over Tottenham, a game that reached 6.5 million viewers for at least three minutes. Earlier that day, Macclesfield Town’s shock victory over holders Crystal Palace drew an average of 1.8 million and a reach of 4.2 million.
The fourth round begins this Friday with Hull City v Chelsea and Wrexham v Ipswich Town. The BBC’s live fourth-round games are Aston Villa v Newcastle on Saturday evening and Chelsea’s trip to Hull on Friday night.
