BBC signs deal with TNT Sports to renew FA Cup rights

UK pubcaster BBC has renewed its free-to-air rights to the FA Cup under a new four-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery-operated pay TV provider TNT Sports.

Starting from the 2025-2026 season, the BBC will broadcast 14 games per season co-exclusively with TNT Sports.

The broadcaster will air two live matches from each round through to the quarter-finals, one semi-final and the final. The BBC will also showcase highlights and digital clips across its platforms as part of the deal.

TNT Sports signed a new four-year agreement with the FA for the UK broadcasting rights to the football competition in February. Live matches from the first round, with every game from the third round outside of 3pm will be shown on the pay TV platform

The BBC currently shares coverage of the FA Cup with rival broadcaster ITV, as part of a previous deal with the football organisation, which kicked off at the beginning of the 2021-22 season.

In addition to the FA Cup, the BBC also shows Premier League and UEFA Champions League highlights.

Interim Director of BBC Sport, Philip Bernie said: “This partnership for the next four years is brilliant news and, alongside our recent Premier League extension and UEFA Champions League highlights coming this year, means that BBC Sport will deliver fans top class analysis, commentary and coverage of the biggest football competitions free to air and accessible for all.”

Trojan Paillot, SVP Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndication WBD Sports Europe, said: “TNT Sports will broadcast every single game outside of 3pm kick-offs, starting from the first round, ensuring fans can watch more of the Emirates FA Cup than ever before all in one place.”

He added, “our ambition is to make more of the live Emirates FA Cup action available to fans than ever before, so the BBC are an outstanding partner to ensure that alongside more games we also make the competition as widely available as possible.”

Mark Bullingham, FA Chief Executive, said: “It was always our intention to ensure that this very special competition would be accessible for everyone, and this new broadcast partnership will enable fans to see more of its matches live than ever before from the start of the 2025-26 season, across both TNT Sports and free-to-air on the BBC. The BBC has told many of the magical and memorable stories that only the Emirates FA Cup can create, and we look forward to making even more history together in the years ahead.”