TNT Sports secures FA Cup rights in four-year deal

The English Football Association and BT-Warner Bros. Discovery joint venture TNT Sports have agreed a new four-year broadcast deal for the Emirates FA Cup, starting from the 2025-26 season.

The sports broadcaster said that the new deal will see more games available than before across both pay TV platform TNT Sports and free-to-air.

The partnership between The FA and Warner Bros. Discovery which operates TNT Sports, will see the latter air live matches from the first round, with every game from the third round outside of 15:00 kick offs available through to the final.

Selected matches from every round will be available free-to-air, and highlights of every game will be made available. Further details of the free-to-air broadcaster will be confirmed in due course.

In addition to the Emirates FA Cup ties, TNT Sports will also broadcast the English football season’s traditional curtain raiser, The FA Community Shield, and The FA Youth Cup semi-finals and final.

The competition will be available via TNT Sports’ channels on EE TV, Sky and Virgin Media, as well as on its streaming platform discovery+.

Mark Bullingham, FA chief executive, said: “The Emirates FA Cup is our crown jewel, and it helps us to provide vital investment across every level of English football, supporting clubs, communities, facilities and the wider grassroots game. Every season, and across every round, The Emirates FA Cup creates incredible moments and unforgettable memories for fans, and this new partnership will see selected matches shown live on TNT Sports, as well as free-to-air, from the First Round of the competition through to the Final at Wembley Stadium.

“TNT Sports are an outstanding broadcaster with an impressive record of showing some of the biggest and best sporting events around the world, so we are delighted to be working with them on our shared commitment and long-term vision that will ensure the Emirates FA Cup continues to thrive over the coming years.”

Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland and WBD Sports Europe, said: “TNT Sports is proud to partner with The FA to present more matches of the world’s most prestigious domestic cup competition than ever before alongside our great line up of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League and club competitions, bringing even more live football to our TNT Sports customers.

“The Emirates FA Cup and the incredible stories it creates every season goes well beyond football, making TNT Sports the perfect home as we continue to tell the stories that matter most to the fans. We have a huge amount of respect for the place that this world-famous competition has in the hearts of football fans and that’s why continuing to ensure we maintain a level of free-to-air coverage is important for us and the FA.”