One Love Manchester: UK ratings smashed as 10.9m watch inspirational set – but Aussies opt to stream

Ariana Grande’s One Love Manchester has been a TV ratings smash in the UK. 

It drew a TV audience of 10.9 million for the BBC, making it the most-watched TV event of the year so far, with a peak of 14.9 million. 

It aired live on BBC TV, BBC radio and Capital Radio Networks in Britain.

According to ratings analysts Deadline and Overnights.TV, it commanded 49.3% of the evening’s TV audience. It had a 69% share of viewers aged 16-24 and 61% of 25—34-year-olds. At least 22.6 million viewers tuned in for at least three minutes.

It was the highest rating since 11.6 million tuned into BBC One’s coverage of the 2016 New Year’s Eve Fireworks. Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Concert in June 2012 was watched by 14.7 million.

But TV numbers are just part of the story.

The Manchester show at the iconic Old Trafford sporting ground before 50,000 people was also streamed live and broadcast to millions more to over 50 countries across five continents.

38 of these chose to broadcast it live despite the time difference. 

iHeartRadio also broadcast the show, and it’s not known at this stage how many streamed it on Facebook and Twitter, as well as across MTV’s digital platforms. 

In Australia, it seems fans preferred the streaming option live on pay TV’s UKTV and 9Now. Nine’s free to air telecast from 9.40pm last night did not make it into the Top 20 shows based on overnight metro figures.

In America it was aired on the ABC’s Freeform cable channel and then aired on the main ABC network after the NBA finals.

The show also featured Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Take That with Robbie Williams, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Niall Horan, Katy Perry, Little Mix, Miley Cyrus, Imogen Heap, Marcus Mumford, Mac Miller and a surprise appearance from Liam Gallagher (who, admittedly, has a new album to plug, but still called out brother Noel on Twitter for not showing up).

Tickets priced at £40 (A$68.95) raised £3 million ($5.1 million), after they sold out in six minutes.

During its three hours, £2 million ($3.44 million) was raised for the British Red Cross’ We Love Manchester Emergency Fund through text and online donations. It brought the total of the fund so far to £10 million ($17.2 million). 

Grande’s One Last Time, which she re-released as a charity single for the emergency fund, looks like it’s debuting at #1 in the UK.

One Love Manchester executive producer Scooter Braun said during the show: “Manchester, your bravery is our hope. Because of you, we can now represent through this as a worldwide community, that we will be ready, we will be fearless and we will be great.”

FULL SET LIST

Marcus Mumford – Timshel

Take That – Shine 

Take That – Giants

Take That – Rule The World 

Robbie Williams – Strong

Robbie Williams – Angels

Pharrell Williams – Get Lucky

Pharrell Williams and Miley Cyrus – Happy

Miley Cyrus – Inspired

Niall Horan – Slow Hands

Niall Horan – This Town

Ariana Grande – Be Alright

Ariana Grande – Break Free

Little Mix – Wings 

Ariana Grande and Victoria Monet – Better Days 

Black Eyed Peas and Ariana Grande – Where Is The Love?

Imogen Heap – Hide and Seek

Children’s choir with Ariana Grande – My Everything

Mac Miller and Ariana Grande – The Way 

Mac Miller – Dang! 

Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus – Don’t Dream It’s Over

Ariana Grande – Side to Side

Katy Perry – Part of Me 

Katy Perry – Roar 

Justin Bieber – Love Yourself

Justin Bieber – Cold Water

Ariana Grande – Love Me Harder 

Coldplay and Ariana Grande – Don’t Look Back in Anger 

Coldplay – Fix You 

Coldplay – Viva La Vida

Coldplay – Something Just Like This

Liam Gallagher – Rock ’N’ Roll Star

Liam Gallagher – Wall of Glass

Liam Gallagher – Live Forever

Ariana Grande and the cast of One Love Manchester – One Last Time

Ariana Grande – Somewhere Over The Rainbow [Encore]