The BBC has concluded its predominantly remote coverage of the World Cup by broadcasting England's semi-final match against Argentina live from Atlanta, United States. This move comes after significant criticism regarding the broadcaster's decision to cover the majority of the tournament from its Salford base, while competitor ITV established a studio in Manhattan.
The semi-final broadcast originated from within the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, featuring presenters Mark Chapman and pundits Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney, and Micah Richards. Viewers saw the BBC's on-site studio setup during the pre-match build-up on BBC News.
Chapman opened the broadcast by referencing the historical rivalry between England and Argentina. The BBC had previously considered a more direct presence during the quarter-finals but opted against TV coverage of England's win over Norway from Miami, although Chapman did host BBC Radio 5 Live coverage from the host city.
Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan have now joined Rooney, Richards, and Hart in the US to cover the semi-finals and the upcoming final for both BBC TV and BBC Radio 5 Live. Their presence in the United States will be for less than a week before returning to the UK.
The decision to delay on-site coverage until the semi-final stage was attributed to the BBC holding live rights for only one quarter-final match, while ITV broadcast the remaining three, including England's quarter-final. This approach was defended by the BBC's director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, who stated that covering the tournament remotely would save "millions" of license-payers' money by avoiding the costs associated with sending a larger crew and building a studio abroad.
Gabby Logan is scheduled to anchor the BBC's coverage of the final, which will also be broadcast by ITV.