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The BBC will continue to broadcast live FA Cup matches for four years from the 2025/26 season after reaching an agreement with the main rights owner, TNT Sports.
While the contract is yet to be signed, Mail Sport has learned that the BBC has won the secondary package of live rights from ITV in a deal that will give the corporation live coverage of two FA Cup matches from each round to the quarter-finals, a semi-final and the final.
TNT bought the rights from the FA in a record four-year deal worth £264m last month, with the contract stipulating that games from each round must be available on free-to-air television.
While TNT could have shown matches on YouTube or its free Quest channel, it was always its intention to seek a public service broadcaster as a rights partner.
The BBC has had live rights to part of the FA Cup since 2014, and its coverage has been shared with ITV for the last four years, and retaining them will be a big boost for a sporting department that has lost the rights to Formula One. , the Grand National and Open Championships over the last decade.
BBC to live stream four-year FA Cup matches from 2025/26 after beating ITV in deal with TNT Sports
While some details remain to be agreed, it is understood the deal will also give the BBC the rights to a Match of the Day highlight programme.
Although negotiated by TNT, the FA will also be pleased with the deal as the BBC’s heavy promotion across television, radio, online platforms and social media will ensure the FA Cup continues to receive wide exposure.
The governing body’s decision to sell the main 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 most of the last 30 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 the rights to the live FA Cup.
The £264m FA Cup deal is one of the FA’s biggest sources of income, which they use to fund grassroots football as well as run the Wembley and England teams across all age groups.
In another significant change, all third round FA Cup matches that do not start during the Saturday afternoon broadcast cut-off will be televised live.
As part of the deal, TNT has also secured live rights to the Community Shield and FA Youth Cup final.