The BBC will continue to broadcast live FA Cup matches for four years from the 2025/26 season after agreeing a deal with main rights holder TNT Sports.
Although the contract is yet to be signed, Mail Sport has learned that the BBC has beaten ITV to the secondary live rights package in a deal that will give the company live coverage of two FA Cup matches from each round up to the quarter-finals. semi-final and final.
TNT bought the rights from the FA last month in a record four-year deal worth £264 million, with the contract stipulating that games in each round were to be made available on free-to-air television.
Although TNT could have shown matches on YouTube or their freeview channel Quest, their intention was always to find a public broadcaster as a rights partner.
The BBC has had live rights to part of the FA Cup since 2014, with coverage shared with ITV for the past four years. Retaining it will be a major boost for a sporting division that has lost the rights to Formula 1 Grand Prix. National and the Open Championship of the past decade.
The BBC will broadcast live four-year FA Cup matches from 2025/26 after beating ITV and striking a deal with TNT Sports
While a few details are yet to be agreed, it is understood the deal will also give the BBC rights to a Match of the Day highlights programme.
Although negotiated by TNT, the FA will also be happy with the deal as the BBC’s heavy promotion across TV, radio, online and social media will ensure the FA Cup continues to gain wide exposure.
The governing body’s decision to sell its core rights package to a subscription channel after four years of exclusive matches on BBC and ITV was criticized last month, but in reality a mixed broadcast model has been the norm for the competition for much of the last thirty years. .
TNT’s predecessor, BT Sport, shared the rights with the BBC from 2014 to 2021, while other subscription services including Sky Sports, Setanta and ESPN previously held live FA Cup rights.
The £264m FA Cup deal is one of the FA’s biggest sources of income, which they use to fund grassroots football and run Wembley and England teams across all age groups.
Another major change is that all FA Cup third round matches that do not start during the Saturday afternoon broadcast blackout will be broadcast live on television.
As part of the deal, TNT has also secured live rights to the Community Shield and the FA Youth Cup final.