TV ratings: ITV wins budget battle

ITV1 won the battle of the budgets with the BBC, peaking with nearly 1 million viewers for its live coverage yesterday, Wednesday 24 March. The Chancellor's Budget: an ITV News Special, which was fronted by Alastair Stewart and Katie Derham, averaged 834,000 viewers, an 11.7% share of the audience, between 12.15pm and 1.30pm, according to unofficial overnight figures. The show peaked with 916,000 viewers between 1pm and 1.15pm. BBC2's Budget 2010, presented by Huw Edwards, averaged 617,000 viewers, an 8.7% share, over the longer running time of 11.30am to 3pm. Neither could match the appeal of the daytime offerings on BBC1, including Bargain Hunt, which brought in 1.998 million viewers (29.7%) between 12.15pm and 1pm, and the 1pm BBC News bulletin, which had 2.264 million viewers, a 29.5% share. Tottenham's 3-1 FA Cup replay win over Fulham peaked with nearly 5.5 million viewers on ITV1 in the evening, beating a BBC1 documentary about chocolate. ITV1's coverage of Spurs' quarter-final replay win averaged 4.294 million viewers (18.7%) between 7.30pm and 10pm. Live coverage of the match itself, averaged 4.77 million over two hours from 7.45pm, peaking with 5.408 million (22.9%) between 9pm and 9.15pm. Paul Kenyon's investigation into the chocolate industry for an hour-long Panorama special, Chocolate: the Bitter Truth, averaged 3.233 million (13.9%) on BBC1. Earlier on BBC1, Caroline Quentin sitcom Life of Riley attracted 5.202 million (24%) between 7.30pm and 8pm, and MasterChef 4.652 million (19.9%) between 8pm and 9pm. The final instalment of BBC2's three-part docusoap Inside John Lewis had 2.134 million viewers (9.2%), beating Channel 4's Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA, which had 1.803 million (7.8%) and another 282,000 on Channel 4 +1. But the John Lewis show lost out – by the narrowest of margins – to Five's NCIS, which had 2.135 million, also a 9.2% share. Property show Relocation, Relocation continues to do good business for Channel 4, with 2.798 million viewers (12%) between 8pm and 9pm. It easily had the better of BBC2's live cycling coverage from the World Track Championships in Denmark, which could only manage 836,000 (3.7%) between 7pm and 9pm. The cycling narrowly beat Channel Five's The Business Inspector, which averaged 751,000 between 8pm and 9pm. The third of BBC2's Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience, in which the comic last night took a job in a hair and beauty salon, had 1.079 million viewers (5.6%) between 10pm and 10.30pm. It lost out to the first half of Channel 4's Desperate Housewives, which averaged 1.222 million (7.1%) between 10pm and 11pm, with another 154,000 on Channel 4 +1. Five's Law & Order: Criminal Intent, had 881,000 (5.1%), also between 10pm and 11pm. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".