How BBC and ITV Decide Which World Cup Matches to Show

England face Mexico in the round of 16 at 1am on Monday 6 July, live on BBC One, in what promises to be one of the most anticipated knockout matches of the 2026 World Cup.

Interest in placing a bet on Mexico vs England has been building steadily since the draw was confirmed, but behind every broadcast decision there is a process that starts months before the tournament, and it involves just as much strategy as a football manager’s game plan.

A Partnership Stretching Back 60 Years

The BBC and ITV have shared the right to broadcast the World Cup in the UK since 1966. Both agreed a deal two years ago to jointly cover the 2026 and 2030 tournaments, keeping the competition on free-to-air television for British audiences. B

oth channels will air the final, with the remaining 103 matches divided between them.

How the Split Works

The division process operates on an alternating pick system. Whichever broadcaster went first at the previous tournament gives way to the other at the next. The same principle applies to the Euros. For this World Cup, it was the BBC’s turn to go first.

The split takes place as close as possible to the draw, so for 2026, that meant December 2025. With fixtures confirmed, the BBC made their opening selection, choosing England’s potential semi-final match if they were to reach that stage. ITV then made theirs, and the two sides kept alternating until all picks were completed. The process is fully conducted by phone, with private negotiations where neither broadcaster knows what the other is planning.

Phil Bigwood, who has produced the BBC’s World Cup coverage for more than 20 years, has noted the 2026 split took longer to complete than the equivalent process at the Euros in Berlin the previous year, which is likely due to the expansion of the tournament, with 104 games being played in total.

Doing the Homework

Before any picks are made, both sides spend at least a couple of days preparing. The aim is to map out which matches carry the most value. Home nation fixtures, potential knockout clashes and manageable kick-off times are all weighed against each other – no broadcaster wants to be landed with four or more live games on the same day.

For the BBC, scheduling around Wimbledon was one practical consideration. For ITV, commercial programming and advertising commitments had to be factored in. This tournament added an extra layer of complexity: matches spread across the USA, Canada and Mexico produce 14 different kick-off times to plan around.

The Knockout Gamble

Allocating knockout round games is the most unpredictable part of the process. Both broadcasters have to commit to their preferred matches in the later rounds before the bracket has taken shape, which means a lot of educated guesswork.

At Euro 2016, the BBC drew up plans around the prospect of England facing France in the quarter-finals. England were knocked out by Iceland in the last 16, and the anticipated showpiece never materialised. At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, an early-hours fixture in Manaus was considered the least desirable pick available by both sides, until it turned out to be England against Italy, one of the BBC’s most-watched matches of the tournament, with around 15 million viewers.

Neither broadcaster can control results, and the best-laid plans from December can look very different by the time the knockout rounds arrive.

Friendly Rivals

Despite competing for ratings, the relationship between the two broadcasters’ World Cup teams is described as collegial rather than combative. Both sides know each other well, with some ITV staff having previously worked at the BBC. Disagreements are rare, and both parties understand that producing a schedule they are each satisfied with is in everyone’s interest.

For England fans setting an alarm in the early hours of Monday 6 July, or tracking the football betting odds, all of that context is secondary to the football. But the broadcast you will be watching is the result of months of planning, careful selections and, as is so often the case in football, a fair amount of luck.