The BBC have decided not to send their presenters and pundits to the United States for their TV coverage of this week’s World Cup quarter-finals.
Having maintained throughout the tournament that their broadcast plans are flexible, the Beeb have now confirmed their studio panel will not travel Stateside until the semi-finals.
It means they will spend less than a week in the country at the licence-payers’ expense before returning home.
All three Match of the Day presenters, Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates, alongside pundits Wayne Rooney, Micah Richards and Joe Hart, will present live from the host cities for BBC TV and BBC Radio 5 Live from the semi-finals.
Having spent the first four weeks of the tournament in Manchester, it is rational for the BBC not to increase their presence in the States until next week.
That is because the corporation holds the live rights for just one of this week’s quarter-finals – Spain against Belgium on Friday evening – while ITV will air the remaining three, including England‘s clash with Norway on Saturday night.
However, should England advance to the last eight, the BBC would air their potential tie against Argentina, as they have first pick of the semi-finals.
The BBC are controversially presenting their World Cup coverage from their Salford base until the semi-finals
Chapman, 52, will travel to the States earlier than his fellow presenters, hosting Radio 5 Live’s coverage of England’s last-eight clash from Miami.
While it has already been confirmed that Logan, 53, will present the final in New York on July 19th – becoming the first woman to do so.
But their coverage of the tournament has sparked controversy after opting to base their World Cup studio in Salford.
They claim the distant coverage has saved millions of licence-payers’ money as part of Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski’s cost-saving drive.
That decision was immediately put to shame, however, when ITV revealed their lavish Brooklyn studio overlooking the Manhattan skyline on the opening day of the tournament.
