The BBC, the UK public-service broadcaster,  achieved a record peak television audience for an FA Cup third-round match for its coverage of Liverpool's 2-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday (January 7). 

A record 7.6 million watched the game between the English Premier League soccer giants, with the match at the Emirates Stadium also streamed 2 million times on the BBC iPlayer streaming service.

The previous record was 7.3 million viewers in 2020 when Liverpool beat Everton 1-0.

Sunday's match had an average audience of close to 6 million, resulting in a 44% share of viewers.

Director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater said: "It's fantastic to see record audiences for coverage of the FA Cup, a competition with so much history, drama and magic.

"We are dedicated to providing audiences with coverage from right across the tournament, from live matches on TV and iPlayer, to TV highlights and digital clips on the BBC Sport website and social media. I can't wait to see what the rest of the competition has in store."

The BBC’s other match on Sunday, Manchester City's 5-0 win over Huddersfield, was streamed 1.3 million times on iPlayer, while Saturday's (January 6) coverage of Aston Villa's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough had a peak audience of 3.3 million on BBC One and an average 21% share.

The fourth round of the FA Cup will be played on the weekend of January 27.