BBC One "defended its decision" to "shunt" a live Brexit speech from PM Theresa May on to BBC Two so the channel could screen penalties from an FA Cup third-round replay, according to Tom Morgan of the London TELEGRAPH. News at Ten was also delayed after the channel "chose to instead screen uninterrupted coverage" after Derby County staged a late comeback against Southampton to "force the game into extra time." Viewing figures for the football "initially dipped" from 3.9 million to 3.3 million as 2.5 million viewers tuned in to May's scheduled 10pm speech. However, after watching the Brexit address, viewers "flooded back to the football," which eventually reached a peak of audience of 4.6 million as Derby County won in the shootout. Some of those tuning in were "critical" that the BBC prioritized football over the Prime Minister's announcement. In response, Gary Lineker tweeted a screen-grab of the figures, and wrote, "Moral of the tale: stick to football." The broadcaster said, "When the match went to extra time and penalties, we provided a live news special on BBC Two, and pointed viewers to this with on air and in vision signage. We also made clear that the news would begin straight after the match's conclusion" (TELEGRAPH, 1/17).
