BBC host Gary Lineker brutally trolled ITV after the Beeb hosted England’s first Euro 2024 game of the campaign, in which they defeated Serbia 1-0 thanks to Jude Bellingham’s header. The two public broadcasters share coverage of international competitions and Three Lions' matches.
Lineker was keen to point out that the BBC will also show England’s second Group D match against Denmark, broadcasting the two opening games of Gareth Southgate’s side before ITV get one, which may end up being a dead-rubber of a final group-stage match against Slovenia.
Having sat down with fellow BBC pundit Micah Richards on The Rest is Football podcast, the former Manchester City defender asked his veteran co-star for his view on any rivalry with their competing broadcaster.
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Richards asked: "We do like ITV, though, don't we? Keano (Roy Keane) and Wrighty (Ian Wright), we don't need to have that rivalry."
Lineker talked up the talent at ITV, but could not resist a cheeky jibe at their expense. "They're really good. English television does football really well. ITV do it brilliantly,” before a cutting five-word remark: “We do it slightly better!"
Lineker insisted that as BBC and ITV share the rights to England matches, not clashing with their coverage and splitting games rather than competing, he gives little thought to any suggestion of rivalry behind the scenes.
Richards posed the question: "How many watch on the BBC do you know? Have you got the figures? What is this rivalry between ITV and BBC when they post the figures and that kind of thing?"
Lineker then replied: "There is no rivalry. For me, I got over that a long time ago. I don't really care because ultimately we alternate games between us.
"Obviously there's a bit of rivalry because we're competitive people. But how do you judge that? Do you judge it by the amount of people who watch a game because we know when England are playing you get more viewers? It's only on one channel and everyone will watch it regardless of whether it's on ITV or the BBC. I got over that a long time ago.”
However, Lineker explained that there was one exception to the rule and that is coming up on July 14. BBC and ITV both broadcast international tournament finals and will compete for viewers when the Euros culminate in Berlin.
“But there is one thing... BBC and ITV both show the finals,” Lineker explained. “Naturally we are sporting people, we are competitive, so that is a little competition. It's not important to anyone else but it is to us."
Almost 20 million people watched December’s World Cup final between Argentina and France in the UK, with a peak audience of 14.9 million tuning into BBC One’s coverage and 4.3 million opting for ITV.
