AUDIENCE AVALANCHE
England’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Mexico in the soccer World Cup on Monday set a new record for television viewership in the U.K. during the early morning hours of 2am to 4am BST. The broadcast attracted a peak of 9.1 million viewers on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, despite the delayed kick-off. The average audience for the Round of 16 match was 7.8 million, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice and Harry Kane securing the decisive penalty, propelling England into the quarter-finals.
This audience record was over three times higher than the previous record, which was set during the Rio 2016 Olympics when more than 3 million people watched Mo Farah’s 10,000m gold medal win alongside performances by Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford. Additional digital engagement was also impressive, with 11.6 million requests on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, contributing to iPlayer’s highest-ever single day of 48 million total requests.
BBC Sport also achieved its highest daily total of social video views at over 330 million, with 65 million of those views stemming from Harry Kane’s post-match interview with Kelly Somers. During the interview, the England captain enthusiastically sang Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” leading to a loss of his voice by the match’s end.
ANIMATION ACCLAIM
Animation Nation, Singapore’s longest-running animation festival, has begun accepting submissions for the third annual ANSEA Awards 2026. This regional competition highlights animators from all ASEAN member states. Entries are being accepted via FilmFreeway, with the announcement of shortlisted finalists set to be made before the festival. A dedicated screening and awards announcement will take place at Animation Nation 2026.
The jury for the ANSEA Awards is led by Tomm Moore, co-founder and creative director of Cartoon Saloon and a three-time Academy Award-nominated director known for works like “The Secret of Kells,” “Song of the Sea,” and “Wolfwalkers.” Additional jury members include Lexie Chu, founder and CEO of Asians in Animation, and Mark Flanagan, an advocate for Access:VFX and chair of the Melbourne ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter. Festival director Michael Lim, celebrating his 10th year in the role, remarked that the ANSEA Awards have become “a vital bridge for Southeast Asian animation talent” as they enter their third year.
