The BBC is set to provide live coverage of England’s World Cup semi-final clash with Argentina from Atlanta, as the network anticipates substantial viewing numbers from this crucial matchup.
ITV garnered a peak audience of 18 million during Saturday’s intense extra-time victory over Norway. This record is likely to be surpassed on Wednesday when England aims for its first World Cup final appearance since 1966, with the match scheduled for 8pm UK time.
With exclusive rights to the live broadcast, the BBC has its main analysts ready and has opted to host the majority of the tournament from Salford.
Until now, the network has relied on brief updates from Alan Shearer, who is also contributing to BBC 5 Live. He is now joined in the U.S. by fellow pundits Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards, who will be present at the Atlanta Stadium for the game. ITV, on the other hand, will maintain its hybrid format, broadcasting from a rooftop studio in Brooklyn while also featuring reporters and analysts at the venue.
England’s advancement to the semi-finals for the second time in three World Cups has validated the BBC’s bold strategy of reserving its top match selections for later in the tournament. ITV previously aired two of England’s group matches along with the last-32 win over DR Congo prior to the dramatic showdown against Norway. Although ITV has led in ratings thus far, historical trends indicate that the BBC may attract a larger audience for the final broadcast, which both networks will air live.
Despite facing a 2am kick-off on Monday for England’s thrilling last-16 match against Mexico, the BBC still recorded a peak audience of 9.1 million, a figure tripling the record for the largest TV audience for a live broadcast during the early hours, previously held by the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The BBC has staunchly defended its choice to stay in Salford amid a backdrop of laying off 2,000 employees to achieve £500 million in savings. BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski remarked last month, “To have what would probably be an extra couple of hundred people out there – and that’s before you build a studio – you’re talking millions,”
