ITV's World Cup studio in New York was temporarily evacuated on Thursday due to severe weather, forcing presenters and pundits to move indoors during France's quarter-final match against Morocco. The broadcast team, including Laura Woods, Marc Pougatch, Roy Keane, Ian Wright, and Patrick Vieira, had to abandon their outdoor set, which features a view of the New York skyline, as storms moved into the area.
Pougatch initially welcomed viewers from the external studio, but the team was quickly relocated inside as heavy rain was observed in Brooklyn. The broadcast noted that matches are subject to half-hour delays if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of a stadium.
The storm conditions prompted the move, though the ITV crew was able to return to the outdoor studio at halftime for continued analysis after the weather passed.
ITV had established the New York loft apartment studio for its six-week coverage of the tournament. Both pundits and presenters had previously praised the New York setting. Keane described the set as "amazing, fantastic," while Wright called it "amazing, unbelievable set," adding that the World Cup "should be this, it should be grand, massive."
This approach by ITV contrasts with the BBC's decision to base its coverage from a studio in Salford, Manchester. According to the BBC's director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, this decision saves significant costs associated with broadcasting from overseas. He estimated that sending a large crew and building a studio abroad would cost millions, a sum he deemed unsustainable for spending licence fee money. The BBC had considered sending personnel for the quarter-finals but ultimately decided against it, opting to remain in the UK.