BBC sends presenters to USA for World Cup semi-finals after Salford studio backlash

The BBC will travel to the United States to cover the World Cup semi-finals on location, abandoning the cost-driven approach that kept its presenters and pundits in a Salford studio for the bulk of the tournament.

According to a report from The Telegraph, key personnel including presenter Gabby Logan will fly out ahead of next week’s last-four ties. The corporation holds ‘first pick’ of the semi-finals, meaning it could secure the rights to broadcast England’s game should Thomas Tuchel’s side beat Norway in their quarter-final.

The BBC’s decision to base its World Cup operation in Salford rather than on the ground in the United States drew sustained criticism throughout the tournament. Rival broadcaster ITV has been transmitting from a rooftop location in Brooklyn, a contrast that became a recurring talking point among viewers and pundits alike.

Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s director of sport, defended the original call, arguing it would save licence-fee-payers “millions” of pounds. But the scrutiny intensified when former BBC presenter Gary Lineker, whose podcast covering the tournament is being shown on Netflix, made a guest appearance on ITV’s coverage and praised their setup directly. “I did desperately want to come and see your set. I think it’s absolutely amazing and I can confirm that it is real,” Lineker said during his cameo, having earlier expressed his preference for being on the ground in the US rather than in “a green box in Salford”.

There remains a scenario in which the BBC’s on-location presence does not coincide with an England match at all. If Tuchel’s side are eliminated in Miami, the corporation could find itself covering a semi-final without the nation’s primary interest — having made the journey only after the bulk of the tournament was already played out at home.