The 'World Cup Match of the Day' attracted 11.6m viewers, or a 48% share, during the last half hour of the match from 9.30pm onwards according to unofficial overnights, to see France defend its tenuous lead until the end of injury time to reach Sunday's final against Italy.
The match's average audience was 10.3m viewers, taking 45% share of the total television audience between 8pm and 10pm,.
The World Cup semi-final beat a repeat of John Nettles in 'Midsomer Murders' broadcast from 7.30pm on ITV1, which pulled in an average of 3.8m viewers or an 18% share of total audience.
A double helping of 'Emmerdale' broadcast at 9.30pm and also at 10pm did not fair much better with 3.1m viewers for the first episode during the match, and 4.1m for the episode after the clash had finished.
Channel 4's 'Property Ladder', broadcast at 8pm, attracted even less of an audience with 2.2m and a 10% share, boosted by Gordon Ramsey's 'F-Word' at 9pm with an audience of 3m or a 12% share of all viewers.
The news on BBC One took 5.2m viewers at 10pm, narrowly beaten by Channel 4's 'Big Brother' broadcast at the same time taking 5.3m viewers or a 27% share.
On BBC Two at 9pm, the final episode of 'The Convent' attracted 1.5m viewers, achieving a 6% share.
'The One' starring martial arts legend Jet Li on Five was the channel's highest-rating show of the evening with 1.2 million viewers between 10pm and 11.40pm.
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