The World Cup final will be headlined by Madonna for the first time ever, but the BBC will focus on analysis during the interval rather than broadcasting music.
BBC’s World Cup final coverage will focus solely on soccer (Image: Getty Images)
The BBC is set to ignore the World Cup final half-time show and instead focus on its own analysis, despite the headline musicians taking part.
This will be the first time that the World Cup finals will feature entertainment during the intervals that are common at many major U.S. sporting events. As one of the hosts, they chose to continue that trend at their home World Cup.
Coldplay leader Chris Martin has been tasked with organizing the show, with Shakira, Madonna and South Korean pop group BTS among the big names set to perform at the star-studded event at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
A halftime show was held at last year’s Club World Cup final, which was also held at the home of the New York Giants. Although it took place on a stage in the stands rather than on the pitch.
The Times reports that the BBC plans to stick to its normal process of analyzing the first half during the break, rather than highlighting the musical performances.
read more: Football Focus to broadcast final episode for first time in 52 years as stars speak outread more: Manager Thomas Tuchel warns England player of dismissal after naming controversial World Cup squad
Although a final decision has not yet been made, viewers who want to watch the halftime show will likely be able to watch the mini-concert only on digital platforms. Another British broadcaster, ITV, is poised to follow a similar lead.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino hopes the halftime show will mirror the one that takes place each year at the Super Bowl and can garner as many headlines as the sport itself. The show could change the World Cup final itself, with the half-time break likely to be extended from its traditional 15 minutes, with negative implications for players, coaches and broadcasters.
A halftime show will be held at the World Cup final (Image: Getty Images)
At last year’s Club World Cup final, the half-time break was just over 24 minutes, rather than the 15 minutes required by competition rules, due to half-time entertainment.
Coaches will need to consider how to conduct team discussions during longer-than-usual breaks. Those involved in sports science will need to consider how an extended suspension period will affect athletes once play resumes.
Broadcasters will have longer half-time periods and changes to their programming and schedules, but it looks like British viewers will be offered content focused on soccer rather than music.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive daily Mirror Football content. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
