Virgin Media O2 sets broadband traffic record during Champions League semi-final
May 8, 2026 10.42 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Credit: Mikael Buck / Virgin Media O2
Virgin Media O2 recorded the biggest broadband traffic spike in its history during Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

The match, streamed on Prime Video on May 5, drove peak downstream traffic between 8pm and 10pm, making it the highest traffic event yet recorded on Virgin Media’s broadband network.

The peak was 4.2% higher than the previous record, set during Liverpool v Real Madrid in November 2025, and 17% above an average Tuesday evening in 2026.

Virgin Media O2 said the figures underline the growing impact of major live-streamed sports events on broadband networks, as more households watch in high definition and across multiple devices.

Jeanie York, chief technology officer at Virgin Media O2, said live sport is one of the biggest drivers of broadband traffic in the UK, adding that reliable, high-capacity connectivity has become increasingly important as more major events move to streaming platforms.