BBC defends Salford World Cup studio as ITV launches rival Brooklyn base for 2026

The BBC has opened its 2026 World Cup broadcast base at MediaCity in Salford, choosing to cover the entire tournament from the UK rather than setting up operations in the United States — a decision that has drawn immediate criticism from former presenter Gary Lineker and several TV pundits.

ITV took the opposite approach, flying its presenters and pundits to America and unveiling a Brooklyn studio with views across the New York skyline in time for England’s warm-up match against Costa Rica. The contrast between the two broadcasters’ setups has sharpened debate over cost, ambition, and the viewer experience.

Director of BBC Sport Alex Kay-Jelski pushed back firmly against the criticism when presenting the new facility to journalists this week. “It’s not a green box in Salford. It’s a beautiful state-of-the-art studio. No one’s seen it until now. I’m really proud of this,” he said. Kay-Jelski also questioned how much the location would actually affect viewers at home: “The actual end product people are getting at home, I don’t really think it’s that different. If these people were sitting somewhere else, would your viewing be massively changed?”

The studio features a large panoramic screen capable of displaying digital backdrops of the tournament’s host cities during each match. During the media preview, Boston served as the backdrop — an effect Kay-Jelski argued was not entirely unlike the New York skyline visible behind ITV’s Brooklyn set.

Lineker, who left the BBC earlier this year, had already stoked the debate in April, boasting on social media about heading to the US for the World Cup and “overlooking Times Square” while his former employers remained “in Salford in a green box.” TV critic Boyd Hilton echoed that sentiment on Thursday, calling it a “terrible decision” and describing a virtual studio in England as “weak sauce” for what he termed a massive cultural event.

Former BBC presenter Dan Walker offered a more measured take, acknowledging the bind the corporation found itself in. “The BBC can’t win… if they go then there is criticism every day about the cost and, if they don’t go, they get hammered for staying at home,” he wrote. “Must feel very distant at the moment though.”

The BBC’s Salford studio is set to make its on-air debut on Friday night, giving viewers their first look at the setup ahead of the tournament proper.