The BBC is broadcasting World Cup coverage from studios in Salford, but will send staff to the US for next week’s semi-final.
Gabby Logan anchors the BBC’s World Cup final (Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
The BBC will travel to the US to broadcast the World Cup semi-finals on location after broadcasting the majority of the tournament on home soil.
The company’s coverage of the tournament has come under intense scrutiny because it was conducted from a studio in Salford rather than in the US like rival ITV, which has been broadcasting from a spectacular rooftop location in Brooklyn in recent weeks.
The BBC’s decision to remain in the UK was taken as it struggled to raise costs, but it will send presenters and experts to cover the finale of the tournament.
A new report in the Telegraph outlines that key talent such as Gabby Logan are set to depart ahead of next week’s semi-finals, with the company having a “first choice” among them.
That means if England win their quarter-final match against Norway on Saturday night, they will be free to advance to England’s games ahead of ITV.
However, if Thomas Tuchel’s side withdraw from the tournament in Miami, the BBC could completely miss out on the chance to broadcast the England game ‘on location’.
Gary Lineker appeared live on ITV from an impressive studio in Brooklyn.
Alex Kay Jelski, the company’s sports director, said the decision to base the studio in Salford would save license fee payers “millions” of pounds. However, the report has come under scrutiny, with former presenter Gary Lineker also criticizing it.
Lineker, whose podcast covering the World Cup, The Rest is Football, airs on Netflix, said in April he was relishing the prospect of being on a ground in the United States rather than “the green box in Salford”.
And when ITV scored another big win by tricking Mr Lineker into making a guest appearance as a pundit on the report, the former Match of the Day presenter waxed lyrical about the impressive studio during his cameo, joking: “I really wanted to come and see your set. I think it’s really amazing and I can guarantee it’s real.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. 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.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £6
sky
Get the deal here
Shoppers can now upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £6 a month when used with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
