The BBC emerged victorious in the battle of the TV ratings last night, with its coverage of the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina being watched by over four times as many people as ITV's.

The game was eventually won by Germany after substitute Mario Gotze found the net in the second half of extra time, following 90 goalless minutes of normal time.

The BBC's coverage, which also marked Alan Hansen's last appearance as a Match of the Day pundit, averaged 12.1 million viewers - a 50.3% share of the TV audience - between 7pm and 11.15pm. ITV's Adrian Chiles-fronted broadcast managed just 2.8 million - a 12% share - over the same period.

Ratings peaked at 19.7 million as the game entered extra time, with around 16 million watching BBC One to ITV's 3.7 million.

Overnight ratings figures do not include the audience watching in pubs, bars or clubs.

Written by
Neil Wilkes