BBC or ITV? How World Cup broadcast picks are made

With dozens of World Cup matches to watch, keeping track of which games are on the BBC or ITV can be challenging. But how do the two broadcasters decide who shows which matches? The process, known as the 'split,' is a carefully orchestrated system that has been in place for decades.

The split process

The BBC and ITV have screened football's global showpiece together since 1966. In 2022, they agreed a deal to share live coverage for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments, ensuring the World Cup remains on free-to-air television in the UK. The two broadcasters split matches between them, including a shared final.

Executive producer Phil Bigwood, who has been part of the BBC's World Cup team for more than 20 years, explains the process: 'The BBC and ITV take it in turns to have the first pick and rotate it between tournaments – it's the same with the Euros.'

In December 2024, when the World Cup draw was made, it was the BBC's turn to pick first. Once they selected their first match, ITV chose theirs, and the process continued back and forth until all matches were allocated. Both broadcasters then air the final.

'We typically end up with an even split with the priority games like England, Scotland and the knockout matches having the highest value,' Bigwood said. 'For this World Cup there are 91 picks in total and we get 10 minutes to make each one – although we don't always need that long. For the Euros in Berlin last year it took a few hours to get through, but this will take a lot longer. There's normally quite a lot of coffee drunk!'

Planning and strategy

Before the split takes place, both sides conduct extensive preparation. Following the draw, broadcasters learn when and where matches will be held. The task then is to develop a priority list for which games are most valuable.

'We have a couple of days of conversations – at least – around what we would like to do and which way we might want to go,' Bigwood says. 'In the BBC's case we've got other scheduling like Wimbledon to take into account – for ITV they've got their commercial considerations. You need to weigh all this up as part of your strategy.'

Broadcasters plot each match and create a day-by-day schedule. 'No broadcaster wants to end up in a situation where you have four live games on one day,' Bigwood adds.

Key considerations include covering matches involving home nations, predicting potential knockout stage matchups, and accounting for kick-off times. The 2026 tournament across the USA, Canada, and Mexico features 13 different kick-off times, adding complexity.

'You have to weigh up how far you think a team might progress,' Bigwood explains. 'If there's a big team – say in England's group – do you go with that or something else? That's always the big conundrum.'

Once both sides finalize their picks, they communicate by phone. 'We're not in the same room and we never know which way they're going to go,' Bigwood says. The plan must be constantly adjusted, as ITV might select a match the BBC had targeted, and vice versa.

Hedging bets in the knockout rounds

Alongside group games, both broadcasters must choose picks for the knockout rounds before the tournament begins. These are potentially the best matches, but no one knows which teams will face each other.

'This is where a bit of guesswork comes in,' says Bigwood. 'At Euro 2016 we anticipated that England could face France in a blockbuster quarter-final. But England lost to Iceland in the last 16 so we didn't get the game we wanted.'

The process is not an exact science, but the BBC and ITV have refined it over decades of collaboration, ensuring viewers have access to the world's biggest sporting event.