ITV's broadcast team was forced to abandon their outdoor World Cup studio in New York on Thursday due to severe weather conditions impacting the area. The presenters and pundits, including Roy Keane, Ian Wright, and Patrick Vieira, were moved to an indoor facility during the coverage of the quarter-final match between France and Morocco.
The team had been broadcasting from a studio overlooking the New York skyline, a setup that had drawn praise for its presentation, especially in contrast to the BBC's decision to host coverage from Manchester to save costs. ITV anchor Marc Pougatch initially welcomed viewers from the exterior set, but the team was quickly relocated as storms approached.
ITV showed footage of the approaching storm, with heavy rain visible in Brooklyn. The report noted that matches are subject to delays of up to half an hour if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of a stadium.
Fortunately, the weather subsided enough for the ITV crew to return to their outdoor studio for halftime analysis and remained there for the full-time discussion after the storm passed.
ITV's decision to establish a prominent studio in the United States for the tournament had been lauded by its own pundits. Keane described the set as "amazing" and "fantastic," while Wright called it "unbelievable" and stated that the World Cup "should be this, it should be grand, massive."
In contrast, the BBC opted for a more cost-effective approach, broadcasting from a studio in Salford. Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC's director of sport, defended the decision, citing significant cost savings that he estimated in the millions of pounds by avoiding the expense of sending a larger crew and building a studio in the US. The BBC had considered broadcasting from Dallas for the quarter-finals but ultimately decided against it.