Category Archives: BBC

FA CUP FINAL 2025 ON TV

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When is the FA Cup Final?

The Cup Final is at Wembley on Saturday May 17 2025.

Why has the FA Cup Final got a 4.30pm kick-off time?

The kick-off time appears to be a compromise between broadcasters BBC and ITV. It’s reported that the BBC wanted a 3pm kick-off (it’s believed so it could better accommodate coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest which starts later the same night at 8pm) while ITV wanted a 5.30pm start as it would be better to attract advertisers. Although traditionalists favour the 3pm start, later kick-off times generally attract a bigger TV audience.

What time does FA Cup coverage start on TV?

ITV 1 will be on air from 3pm, BBC One from 3.25pm. ITV’s coverage is also streaming on ITVX and the BBC’s on the iPlayer.

Who’s presenting coverage?

Gary Lineker will host the BBC coverage, Mark Pougatch will anchor ITV’s.

Who are the FA Cup Final pundits and commentators?

BBC’s coverage will include Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards as pundits and the commentary will come from Guy Mowbray with Alan Shearer alongside him. BBC Radio 5Live’s commentary will be available on the red button and iPlayer too.

ITV’s line-up of pundits include Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Joleon Lescott. Karen Carney will be pitchside with Laura Woods. Match commentary will be from Sam Matterface alongside Lee Dixon and Ally McCoist.

What’s happening with FA Cup TV coverage from next season?

There are big changes coming to FA Cup coverage next season. TNT Sports has agreed an exclusive deal with the Football Association which will see more games shown on TV than ever before – TNT has pledged to screen every game outside the 3pm Saturday ‘blackout’ period. However, the BBC has struck an agreement with TNT to show 14 matches each season – two games from each round through to the quarter-finals as well as showing one semi-final and the final. The BBC games will also be on TNT. The final has to be made free-to-air under UK broadcast legislation as one of sport’s “protected” events.

ITV – who currently share the rights with the BBC – will have no FA Cup games from next season.

PREMIER LEAGUE TV SHAKE-UP

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PREMIER LEAGUE TV RIGHTS FROM 2025-26 SEASON FOR FOUR YEARS

SKY SPORTS

  • At least 215 games each season
  • ALL first pick matches each weekend
  • Games at 8pm Friday and Monday (including more than previously), Saturdays 5.30pm, Sundays at 2pm and 4.30pm
  • ALL games rescheduled to 2pm on Sundays due to European midweeks – Sky will show multiple matches at the same time in this slot.
  • EVERY game from three midweek rounds of games (Midweeks of December 3/December 30/January 7)
  • ALL ten final day matches for the first time.
  • “Most of the festive fixtures” with Boxing Day Premier League action returning to Sky – it’s thought Sky will show 9 of the ten Boxing Day games, with TNT the other game).
  • Highlights-wise Sky will again be able to show mini YouTube and in-app highlights packages from 5.15pm on a Saturday.

TNT SPORTS

  • 52 live games a season
  • Saturday 12.30pm kick-offs
  • EVERY game from two entire midweek fixture rounds (Midweeks of February 11/March 4)

BBC SPORT

  • FREE-TO-AIR highlights through Match of the Day
  • Extra digital rights for BBC online platforms including mini highlights packages on BBC iPlayer from 8pm on a Saturday night (see more details HERE.

PREMIER LEAGUE TV GAMES ANNOUNCED SO FAR – SEE HERE

THE new season sees the start of a new multi-billion pound Premier League TV rights deal with 100 extra games a year being shown by Sky alone.

Under the four-year agreement, Sky will show at least 215 matches a season including for the first time all games rescheduled to 2pm on a Sunday due to clubs’ European commitments. Sky say when there are four or more Sunday 2pm kick-offs they’ll offer a new MultiView programme to follow all matches in one places.

It means 80 per cent of the live televised games will be on Sky, the other 20 per cent on TNT. Sky’s previous deal allowed them to show 128 matches live so the new season’s changes are significant.

The new contract, which starts in August, gives Sky all first-pick matches and means they retain their Friday and Monday night 8pm games, Saturday 5.30pm and the big Super Sunday 4.30pm and 2pm matches.

In addition to the rescheduled Sunday 2pm matches, they’ve added three midweek rounds, some Boxing Day games.

And for the first time all TEN final day games will be shown live on Sky Sports at the same time.

TNT Sports has retained its Saturday 12.30pm games and will show a total of 52 matches a season including some midweek rounds.

DATES WHEN PREMIER LEAGUE TV GAMES ANNOUNCED – SEE HERE

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Some fans had been concerned it will mean fixtures moved to accommodate TV games, but in reality while there will be some extra Monday and Friday TV games, the majority of the extra games being televised are either midweek, bank holiday or the games displaced to Sunday due to European commitments.

Match of the Day is secure as the home of FREE-TO-AIR highlights with the BBC retaining that package as well as adding extra digital rights for its online platforms. This will mean mini-highlights packages will be available from 8pm on a Saturday night on BBC iPlayer for the first time – SEE MORE

The record-breaking deal is worth £6.7billion and has been described by the Premier League as the “largest sports media rights deal ever concluded in the UK”.

Amazon Prime Video – which has been showing two entire fixture rounds of 20 games a season – has lost rights to all its games.

As well as more live games this season, the Premier League has agreed to some other changes including substitutes being interviewed by Sky and TNT after they’ve come off, camera operators allowed to enter the field of play after goals have been scored to film celebrations close-up and dressing room cameras.

FA CUP SEMI-FINALS WEEKEND ON BBC & ITV

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SATURDAY APRIL 26

5.15PM CRYSTAL PALACE V ASTON VILLA FA CUP (BBC ONE)

SUNDAY APRIL 27

4.30PM NOTTINGHAM FOREST V MAN CITY FA CUP (ITV 1)

ENGLAND GAMES MOVE TO ITV FROM CHANNEL 4

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Photo: Football Association

ENGLAND’s Euro and World Cup qualifying matches, friendlies and Nations League games return to ITV from Friday after the broadcaster wrestled back the live TV rights from Channel 4.

ITV will show all England’s World Cup 2026 qualifiers, all their Euro 2028 qualifiers, all Nations League games and all friendlies.

The four-year deal – struck between ITV and UEFA – covers matches both home and away and starts with Friday’s debut match for new manager Thomas Tuchel against Albania. ALL INTERNATIONAL MATCHES LISTED HERE

It means the end of Channel 4’s two-year spell as the home of England’s friendlies and qualifying games.

ITV’s deal covers at least 40 England matches, working out at about ten matches per season.

The BBC has also secured a TV deal with UEFA to cover all of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s international games between now at next year’s World Cup.

The BBC’s coverage starts with Scotland’s Nations League play-off match on Thursday. The games will be shown on the respective nations’ version on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer with some games also being covered on the main BBC networks too.

The BBC and ITV agreed a deal with FIFA late last year to share the rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.

SELECTED OTHER GAMES AVAILABLE ON PAY-PER-VIEW VIA AMAZON HERE

ITV’S LIVE ENGLAND DEAL 2024 TO JUNE 2028

ALL England’s home and away World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

ALL England’s home and away Euro 2028 qualifiers.

ALL England’s home and away Nations League games.

ALL England’s home and away friendly internationals

BBC’S HOME NATIONS DEAL

41 live matches over the next 15 months featuring all Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland internationals.

AMAZON PAY-PER-VIEW MATCHES

Amazon Prime are also offering a selection of Nations League matches and European qualifiers for selected nations – including the Republic of Ireland on a pay-per-match basis. See Amazon’s sports section HERE

ITV currently share the live rights with the BBC to Euro 2024 and Euro 2028 as well as World Cup 2026.
TOP FOOTBALL BOOKS FROM AMAZON HERE

FA CUP FIFTH ROUND TV GAMES ON BBC & ITV

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28

8PM ASTON VILLA V CARDIFF FA CUP (ITV1)

SATURDAY MARCH 1

12.15PM CRYSTAL PALACE V MILLWALL FA CUP (BBC ONE)

12.15PM PRESTON V BURNLEY FA CUP (BBC IPLAYER)

5.45PM MAN CITY V PLYMOUTH FA CUP (ITV 4)

SUNDAY MARCH 2

1.45PM NEWCASTLE V BRIGHTON FA CUP (ITV 1)

4.30PM MAN UNITED V FULHAM FA CUP (BBC ONE)

MONDAY MARCH 3

7.30PM NOTTINGHAM FOREST V IPSWICH FA CUP (ITV 4)

FA CUP ON TV FROM NEXT SEASON

There are big changes coming to FA Cup coverage next season. TNT Sports has agreed an exclusive deal with the Football Association which will see more games shown on TV than ever before – TNT has pledged to screen every game outside the 3pm Saturday ‘blackout’ period. However, the BBC has struck an agreement with TNT to show 14 matches each season – two games from each round through to the quarter-finals as well as showing one semi-final and the final. The BBC games will also be on TNT. The final has to be made free-to-air under UK broadcast legislation as one of sport’s “protected” events.

ITV – who currently share the rights with the BBC – will have no FA Cup games from next season.

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