Wright backs ITV's New York World Cup set as BBC faces criticism over Salford studio

Ian Wright voiced his approval of ITV’s New York City studio setup for the 2026 World Cup, saying the grand setting was exactly what the tournament deserved — a remark that landed pointedly amid ongoing criticism of the BBC’s choice to anchor its coverage from Salford.

Presenting alongside Roy Keane and host Mark Pougatch from a loft-style set overlooking lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge, Wright said: “It’s amazing, unbelievable set. It’s the World Cup, it should be this, it should be grand, massive.” The trio had been discussing England’s 3-0 friendly victory over Costa Rica ahead of the tournament’s opening fixtures.

The BBC has taken a different approach, keeping the bulk of its World Cup operation in the UK and sending only a small number of reporters to the United States. BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski defended the decision publicly, telling the Daily Mail that flying out several hundred staff and constructing an on-site studio would cost millions of pounds of licence fee money. “I don’t think the answer from a financial sustainable point of view is to say everyone can go,” Kay-Jelski said. “I don’t think that is a very clever way of me to spend licence fee money.”

The contrast between the two broadcasters’ setups has sharpened the long-running rivalry between their respective punditry teams. Keane acknowledged the tension openly, saying the competition between BBC and ITV filters down even to the pundits themselves. “The rivalry between the BBC and ITV pundits is a bit strange, but I think it’s good that there’s a bit of tension,” Keane said. “Let’s not kid ourselves, there is definitely tension.”

With the World Cup now under way, the debate over studio location has become one of the more unusual sideshows to the tournament — pitting the spectacle of a Manhattan skyline against the financial obligations of public broadcasting.