BBC defends Salford studio plan for World Cup 2026 as ITV sets up in New York

The BBC has unveiled a new studio in Salford from which it will anchor its World Cup 2026 coverage, at least through the group stages, as the corporation faces criticism for choosing not to send its main presenting team to the United States.

Rival broadcaster ITV has taken the opposite approach, flying its presenters to New York where a custom-built studio has been constructed in Brooklyn. The BBC says its decision to remain in the UK is driven by environmental considerations.

BBC Sport Director Alex Kay-Jelski pushed back against the criticism at a media briefing ahead of the tournament, directly addressing comments made by former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker, who had dismissed the setup as “a green box in Salford”.

“It’s not a green box in Salford,” Kay-Jelski said. “It’s a beautiful state-of-the-art studio. No one’s seen it until now. I’m really proud of this. The actual end product people are getting at home, I don’t really think it’s that different. If the presenters were sitting somewhere else, would your viewing be massively changed?”

The new facility features a large panoramic screen behind the presenting desk, which will display images of each match’s host city. A second screen beneath the presenters’ feet will show footage and highlights from the games being covered. Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Alex Scott are among those who will front the coverage from Salford.

The BBC’s operation will not be entirely UK-based. Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy will be on-site in the United States, alongside commentary teams and journalists in the field.

Once the group stages conclude and the tournament moves into the knockout rounds, the rest of the presenting and punditry team — including Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Thomas Frank, Gaël Clichy and Olivier Giroud — is expected to travel to the US, though the BBC has not yet committed to a specific date for that transition.