2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

England have a worse record on ITV than BBC it's true, but the win-or-go-home games paint a slightly different story:

1998: England go out to Argentina, live on ITV.
2000: England go out to Romania, live on BBC.
2002: England go out to Brazil, live on both ITV and BBC
2004: England go out to Portugal, live on BBC.
2006: England go out to Portugal again, live on BBC
2007: England fail to qualify for Euro 2008, live on BBC
2010: England go out to Germany, live on BBC
2012: England go out to Italy, live on BBC
2014: England go out in group stage after loss to Uruguay, live on ITV
2016: England go out to Iceland, live on ITV. (Also Wales go out to Portugal, live on ITV.)

Anyone would think it is the quality of the team rather than the broadcaster that determines their fate at a major tournament.

England are now third favourites behind France and Brazil and on paper have a clear path to the final.

There was a bloke in the pub earlier commenting on the "crap" coverage from the "Russian TV". Naturally he didn't expand on what he thought the host broadcaster should be doing differently, but I haven't noticed any glaring cock-ups.

In recent years, I seem to remember the BBC graphics taking the same general format at the host broadcaster's, presumably to make generating them from the data feed easier.

This year's only use red and green to differentiate between goals missed and scored -- I'm not colourblind myself, but I can't help but think that that's not best design practice.

2016: My team Northern Ireland went out to Wales live on the BBC
2002: Republic of Ireland went out Spain live on the BBC
2016: Republic of Ireland went out France live on ITV

In terms of penalty shoot outs (again, both WC and Euro):

BBC: 1990*, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2012
ITV: 1990*, 1998.

* Simulcast with the other broadcaster.

Yep, that’s a bit more like it!

Technically England going out in 2014 was live on the BBC as they had the Italy v Costa Rica match that formally eliminated them.

True, but the final match was on ITV.

1996 was simulcast too

Hope Solo has begun her stint on RTÉ2's coverage with Kieth Andrews & Richie Sadlier from today.

She is in the RTÉ Sports studio with presenter Peter Collins.

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