England’s win jammed UK networks and pubs in one afternoon

England’s World Cup victory over DR Congo didn’t just send Three Lions fans into raptures—it jammed the UK’s mobile networks and packed pubs nationwide. 4% jump in data usage. The deluge wasn’t confined to airwaves; BBC iPlayer’s concurrent streams exploded by 380% as commuters and couch potatoes alike streamed live coverage from trains, buses, and offices.

Virgin Media O2, which owns O2, confirmed the spike came from a mix of video highlights, live updates, and social media scrolling. Across the country, high streets became ghost towns turned fan zones. 4% surge in pedestrian traffic as workers ditched their desks early, flooding pubs and fan zones in city centers.