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Two billion watched Euro 2016 live on TV says UEFA

Republic of Ireland's Robbie Brady scores his side's first goal of the game during the Euro 2016, Group E match at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
Republic of Ireland's Robbie Brady scores his side's first goal of the game during the Euro 2016, Group E match at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille Republic of Ireland's Robbie Brady scores his side's first goal of the game during the Euro 2016, Group E match at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille

TWO billion people watched the 2016 European Championship live on television, and the total live audience for the 51-match tournament was almost five billion, Uefa has revealed.

Uefa's research said 600 million viewers watched some of Portugal's 1-0 extra-time win over host France in the final.

The final attracted 284.4 million as an "average in-home global audience" – the industry-standard audit tracking viewers minute-by-minute.

That made it the second most-watched game in European Championship history. The average audience was 299 million when Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final.

In comparison, the 2014 World Cup final drew a 570.1 million average for Germany's 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina.

Euro 2016 TV rights earned Uefa 1.05 billion euros (£882 million) from 130 broadcast partners.