Whether you’re a soccer fan or not, there’s nothing like the World Cup. It is arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet, rivaled only by the Olympics in its global reach and influence. Live matches attract billions of viewers. So it’s very important for TV channels to get things right.
In the UK, all World Cup matches are broadcast free-to-air on the BBC and ITV. The two rival networks will also be sharing the England match, with the final being broadcast simultaneously on both channels. They each have different approaches to World Cup coverage, but which one is better?
ITV broadcasts live from a state-of-the-art studio in Brooklyn, New York, while the BBC remains at home in Salford, with only its commentators flying to the US.
They will be joined by Emma Hayes, Karen Carney, Christina Unkel, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Jobi McAnuf. Eni Aluko’s absence was notable, with Graeme Souness, Joe Cole, Nigel de Jong and Hal Robson-Kanu also absent.
Meanwhile, the BBC boasts an 18-strong squad including former England stars Wayne Rooney, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Joe Hart, Paul Robinson, Steph Houghton, Ellen White and Danny Murphy.
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Scott Brown, Rachel Coursey and James McFadden represent Scotland, while international stars Olivier Giroud, Gael Clichy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Beni McCarthy, Ashley Williams, Thomas Frank and Lucas Leyva provide analysis of other countries.
For the first time in many years, Gary Lineker will no longer be involved in BBC reporting since he resigned last year. Instead, he fronts The Rest Is Football, a popular podcast that airs daily episodes on Netflix.
ITV attracted more viewers than the BBC in the first week of the World Cup, taking four of the top five TV viewership spots. But the BBC drew a whopping 16.3 million viewers to England’s thrilling Round of 32 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo.
