The FA Cup’s allure stems from its unrestricted broadcast on UK television, which has contributed to a new record for third-round viewership, which was achieved by Liverpool against Arsenal.
The Gunners were defeated on Sunday by Jurgen Klopp and his team, who were mostly responsible for personnel and tactical changes that allowed Liverpool to score two goals in quick succession at the Emirates.
The outcome puts the Reds in the running for all four league titles this year, and they will now play Bristol Rovers or Norwich in the FA Cup’s following round.
It remains to be seen if it is chosen for live airing in the UK, but both the BBC and ITV will be aware of the viewership they can draw, particularly in light of the current statistics against Arsenal.
With a peak audience of 7.6 million on BBC One on Sunday, the FA Cup tie broke the record for most viewers for a third-round match, which stood at 7.3 million in 2020 when Liverpool defeated Everton.
The updated number is nearly the same as the total population of Laos!
This season, when Liverpool and Arsenal play each other, viewing records have been broken multiple times.
With nearly 2.5 million viewers across multiple channels, their league match on December 23 was the most watched Premier League broadcast in American history.
The Reds’ goalless draw with Manchester United the week before ranked third in the list with 1.77 million viewers, and they currently have two appearances in the top five most-watched top-flight matches in the US.
According to Forbes, broadcast revenue accounted for 40.3% of Liverpool’s 2023 valuation breakdown. The club heavily depends on these funds for each and every season.
Although the opponent, date, and time of Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth-round match have not yet been announced, it is scheduled for the weekend of January 27.