The coronation of King Charles III was watched by more than 18 million viewers in the UK, according to provisional audience figures released by research organization Barb. The moment when
the King was crowned was the peak moment, with 20.4 million viewers tuning in. The ceremony was broadcast on various channels, including ITV News, BBC One and Two, and Sky News between 11am and 1pm, with an average of 18.8 million viewers across 11 channels and services.
Although the figure is impressive, it falls short of the audience ratings for the funeral service of the late Queen in September 2022, which was seen by 26.5 million people across more than 50 TV channels. While no reliable figures are available for the Queen's coronation in 1953, it is estimated that more than 20 million adults in Britain watched the BBC's television coverage of the event based on surveys carried out after the coronation of Elizabeth II.
Given that the number of households with a TV license stood at just 2.1 million nine weeks before the coronation in 1953, the estimated TV audience was significant. As television was still in its early days in the UK in the early 1950s and the same was true of the methods used to measure its audience, it is challenging to compare the audience figures with those of today. The current method of calculating TV audiences was established in 1981 by the audience research organization Barb.
Compared to other televised events, the King's coronation had a lower combined audience than the televised address by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in March 2020, which announced the first Covid-19 lockdown and was watched by 28.2 million people. The ratings were also lower than the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games, which had 24.2 million and 24.5 million viewers, respectively, on BBC One. The final of the Euro 2020 football championship in July 2021 attracted a combined total of 22.5 million on BBC One and ITV.
Nevertheless, the King's coronation was still a significant event that drew a considerable audience. It remains to be seen how the new king's reign will unfold and what historic moments may lie ahead.