TV or not TV? That is the question of who controls the game.
A look at the Club World Cup's impact on TV in build-up to the World Cup.
In the wake of the heat-affected Club World Cup in the US, there’s a lot of intriguing chatter about whether European broadcasters will bow to player welfare at the 2026 World Cup and agree to later kick-off times. CWC has raised many issues about football’s relationship with TV that are worth exploring.
Chelsea didn’t have much problem in the final, starting at 3pm New Jersey time, but Enzo Maresca, and his players like Enzo Fernandez, did complain earlier in the competition about the inhibiting factors of high temperatures.
European TV powerhouses obviously want the prime evening slot - 8pm UK. But then it’s worth recalling that BBC averaged 14.4m for England’s 11pm kick-off against Italy in Manaus in 2014. That peaked at 15.6m even with England struggling and eventually losing. The figure was doubtless helped by it being a Saturday night game with no work for most or school the next day.
It is also worth recalling how fortunate we are to have terrestrial broadcasters showing even more games. Every game of the 2026 World Cup will be shown live on BBC or ITV. In a way, and with due acknowledgement to Harold Macmillan, we have never had it so good (especially when you consider the quality of much of the output and punditry, Neville, Keane etc, on subscription channels of club football). Only 38 of the 52 games at Italia 90 were shown live.