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England Lionesses' Euros triumph named as top live TV moment of the past 20 years

The England Lionesses' European Championship triumph in 2022 has been named as the top live TV sporting moment of the past 20 years, according to a recent poll

[Lionesses claiming the Euros title in 2022 has been crowned as the top live TV moment]

Lionesses claiming the Euros title in 2022 has been crowned as the top live TV moment(Image: SWNS)

The England Lionesses' triumphant victory in the 2022 Euros has been voted as the top live TV sporting moment of the past 20 years, according to a recent poll.

The survey, which polled 2,000 sports buffs, also spotlighted Luke Littler's extraordinary performance at the tender age of 16 in the 2023 Darts World Championship, and Leicester City's surprise Premier League win in 2016, as other unforgettable moments.

Other notable events included Andy Murray's Wimbledon wins in 2013 and 2016, and the England cricket team's historic triumph over New Zealand to clinch their first World Cup in 2019.

The study was carried out by Freely, a free streaming service that provides live and on-demand TV and films from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. It revealed that on average, sports fans spend a staggering 172 hours per year glued to live sports on TV - equivalent to over a week of non-stop viewing.

Football topped the list as the most popular sport to watch from the comfort of home, with 62% of respondents picking it. This was followed by tennis (33%), athletics (26%) and Formula 1 (25%). Cricket (23%), rugby (22%) and boxing (17%) were also among the favourite sports to tune into.

In the last five years, nearly half (48%) of those surveyed reported watching more women's sports, with men slightly more likely to say this (51% compared to 46% of women).

[Father and son with England flag watching football game on TV]

Father and son with England flag watching football game on TV(Image: Getty Images)

Amy Rowcliffe, director at Freely, lauded: "The Lionesses' Euros win was truly iconic and memorable - it fully deserves to top this list. And watching sporting events live makes all the difference - even if your team didn't win you feel part of something important."

"Seeing so many people watching more female sport is incredible and with the Lionesses taking top spot, it just shows how influential it has become."

A study found nearly four in ten (36%) are gagging to watch more live sports on the TV, while a majority, eight in ten reckon it's vital that major sporting events stay free-to-air for all Brits to enjoy - including The Olympics, World Cup and Wimbledon.

Punters pointed out what makes an iconic sport moments including those where the underdog comes out on top (31%), a record gets smashed (29%), or when the event has historical significance (28%) - a hefty 72% also reckon that the commentary is key for making those climactic moments stick.

The study also showed that the average participant normally watches two different sorts of sports each week, but it's those aged 25 to 34 who are likely to watch more with 18% checking out four diverse sports on the regular.

Over half (54%) are up for watching a new sport after flicking through the TV and nearly a third (30%) have been spurred on to give sport a go after clocking some epic sporting history unfold on the telly.

[Jamaica's Usain Bolt wins the men's 100m final at the National stadium as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics]

Jamaica's Usain Bolt wins the men's 100m final at the National stadium as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics(Image: Getty Images)

Freely's Amy Rowcliffe added: "People love watching live sporting events on TV and agree they should stay free for everyone and we have been spoilt this Summer with some incredible live sport."

"As many of us watched the Euros a few weeks ago, we all celebrated and commiserated together, taking comfort in the fact that we could crowd around the TV at the pub, or our homes and share the highs and lows with our friends, neighbours and colleagues."

"There's something so special about discussing a moment you saw live with a friend or colleague and as these survey results show, people truly feel that they are witnessing history, which is something we'll all be able to enjoy while watching the Paris Olympics over the next couple of weeks."

Rowcliffe concluded: "Having the best sporting moments available all in one place and for free means that you won't have to miss a moment. It's extremely important to make sure live sports on TV stay free and easily accessible to everyone."

BRITS' MOST MEMORABLE LIVE SPORTING MOMENTS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS:

1. England's Lionesses clinching the Euros [2022].
2. Andy Murray's triumphant Wimbledon victories [2013, 2016].
3. Leicester City's unexpected Premier League title win [2016].
4. Usain Bolt's golden run at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games [2016].
5. Jude Bellingham's last-minute overhead kick against Slovakia at Euro [2024].
6. Lewis Hamilton's multiple Formula 1 World Championship wins [2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020].
7. England cricket team's thrilling victory over New Zealand in the cricket world cup [2019].
8. Liverpool's stunning Champions League comeback win against Barcelona [2019].
9. Luke Littler's remarkable performance at the darts world championships at just 16 [2023].
10. Lionel Messi leading Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory [2022].
11. Manchester City's Treble-winning season [2022-2023].
12. Michael Phelps making Olympic history with 8 medals in Beijing [2008].
13. Arsenal's 'Invincibles' going unbeaten in a Premier League season [2003-2004].
14. Serena Williams clinching her 23rd Grand Slam at the Australian Open [2017].
15. The epic Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder trilogy fights [2018, 2020, 2021].
16. Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt in the World Cup final [2006].
17. Carlos Alcaraz's stunning defeat of Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon [2023].
18. Luke Shaw's memorable goal for England against Italy at the Euro 2020 final [2021].
19. France's triumphant FIFA World Cup win [2018].
20. Tiger Woods' US Open victory despite a broken leg and torn ACL [2008].
21. Wales's impressive run at Euro 2016 [2016].
22. Kobe Bryant's record-breaking 81 points against Toronto Raptors [2006]
23. The boxing showdown between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather [2017]
24. Neymar's high-profile move from Barcelona to PSG [2017]
25. South Africa's triumphant 2019 World Cup victory [2019].

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