Laura Woods vs Gary Lineker and how every pundit has rated as we help you decide ITV vs BBC dilemma for England vs Spain
ALL EYES will be on Sunday’s Euro 2024 final as England take on Spain – but on which channel will you watch?
BBC and ITV shared the rights throughout the tournament in Germany as Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions made it to successive Euros finals.
But for the first time this summer, viewers get the choice of where they tune into for the final.
So here, SunSport helps fans decide ahead of the big game.
Host
Gary Lineker has long been the face of BBC’s football coverage, having hosted the iconic Match of the Day since 1999.
Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Mark Chapman have also shared the hotseat in the absence of Lineker.
But Lineker has had an eventful Euros, notably being censored by the BBC for dropping an F-bomb while celebrating England’s win over Switzerland.
He also accused of breaking rules by wearing his own Next clothing range on air – as BBC prevent wearing attire they’re promoting – or being paid to wear.
Shearer and Lineker were also caught in a back and forth with England captain Harry Kane after early criticism of performances.
ITV whereas alternate between fans’ favourite Laura Woods and veteran broadcaster Mark Pougatch.
Woods has stunned in a variety of bold outfits throughput the tournament and even brought along boyfriend Adam Collard in Berlin.
Pundits
BBC have had BBC have had Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Jermaine Jenas, Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Ellen White, Ashley Williams, David Moyes, Rachel Corsie, Thomas Frank and Cesc Fabregas in studio in Germany.
Fabregas in particular has received praise for his expert analysis and the Spaniard would be the perfect pundit for the final.
He won the Euros in 2008 and 2012 while spending 13 years playing in England at Arsenal and Chelsea.
Ferdinand was also on the end of some funny stick from Jenas after making it known he spoke with former team-mate Critstiano Ronaldo in private.
You can say it hasn’t been pretty, but England are in the final… and we’re peaking at just the right time, says Jack Wilshere
AFTER what has been a tough tournament of times, what an opportunity Gareth Southgate and his team will have to end in the best possible way, writes Jack Wilshere.
We might like a team that played better football. But it’s a results business.
Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and of course Holland would love to be where we are.
People will say we’re lucky because we’re on this side of the draw.
But we won the group. France didn’t and then ran into Spain.
You can say it wasn’t that pretty, but we’re there.
Gareth and his coaches won’t have been happy with some of the performances.
But I did like the way Gareth and his team have dealt with it.
There was no panic coming out of the camp.
Everyone gave the same message: ‘We know we can better, but we’re here still.’
And on Sunday they will be in Berlin to play Spain.
They will probably have to produce two halves of football as good as the first against Holland to beat them.
We have improved as the tournament has gone on and that is how you win things.
You want to peak in the final.
If Gareth can lead England to that major trophy we’ve all been waiting for, it will be the perfect answer to the critics and a brilliant day for us all.
Read Jack Wilshere’s England vs Holland verdict in full.
Or check out all of SunSport columnist Jack’s Euros 2024 opinions…
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BBC and ITV's Euro 2024 line up in full
Here's how each channel will line-up:
BBC presenters:
Gary Lineker, Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman
ITV presenters:
Mark Pougatch and Laura Woods
BBC pundits:
Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand, Ellen White, Frank Lampard, Ashley Williams, Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Frank, David Moyes, Rachel Corsie and James McFadden
ITV pundits:
Ian Wright, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Karen Carney, Graeme Souness, Eni Aluko, Ange Postecoglou, Danny Rohl and Christina Unkel
BBC commentators:
Guy Mowbray, Robyn Cowen, Vicki Sparks, Steve Wilson, Steve Bower and Jonathan Pearce
ITV commentators:
Sam Matterface, Clive Tyldesley, Seb Hutchinson, Pien Meulensteen and Joe Speight
BBC co-commentators:
Danny Murphy, Martin Keown, Jermaine Jenas and James McFadden
ITV co-commentators:
Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist and Andros Townsend
ITV have Ian Wright, Karen Carney, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Eni Aluko, Graeme Souness, Ange Postecoglou and Danny Rohl.
Behind-the-scenes footage has shown Irishman Keane’s hilarious reaction to England’s goals.
Meanwhile, Wright and Neville were the opposite with jubilant celebrations at Ollie Watkins late winner against Switzerland.
And the introduction of former referee Christina Unkel – a sure upgrade on Peter Walton – has gone down well with viewers.
Unkel claimed England should NOT have been awarded a penalty against the Dutch and ITV were forced to censor manager Ronald Koeman’s furious post-match interview.
Commentators
Guy Mowbray is BBC’s lead commentator and he could be partnered with Jenas, Shearer, Danny Murphy, Martin Keown or James McFadden.
Shearer brilliantly came up with the “pressure is for tyres” line as England went 5/5 in their quarter-final shootout win over Switzerland.
Sam Matterface is ITV’s head commentator and will likely be partnered with Lee Dixon or Ally McCoist.
But fans are pushing for former England international Andros Townsend to pair with McCoist in a dream co-commentary duo.
The Euros also brought an end to Clive Tyldesley’s near-three decades with ITV.
Deciding factors
A stunning 21.6 million tuned in on ITV at its peak to watch England beat Netherland 2-1 thanks Watkins’ winner.
BBC had 16.8m for the dramatic quarter-final against the Swiss which went to the dreaded shootout.
Coverage of the final is set to start at 7pm on BBC – an hour before kick off – while ITV are going live at 6.30pm to give themselves an extra 30 minutes.
Of course, BBC have the advantage of offering their coverage ad-free and three years ago only 5.8m of the total 31.1m watched it on ITV.
But, if fans really cannot decide then there is always the option of flicking between the two.
Euro 2024 final stadium is home to English football’s most shameful episode
GARETH SOUTHGATE and his players will walk in the footsteps of sporting infamy on Sunday.
And they also have the chance to wipe out the memories of English football’s most shameful episode by replacing it with glorious triumph.
For many, the Olympiastadion will always be the place where Jesse Owens humiliated Adolf Hitler in his own backyard.
But the 1936 Olympics WERE used by the Nazis as pure propaganda, as a statement about the supposed supremacy of the “Aryan race”.
The ghosts of those Games still flit between the towers and the colosseum-style architecture.
Fans walking in on Sunday will see the plinth where the Olympic cauldron was lit by Fritz Schilgen – handpicked by propagandist film-maker Leni Riefenstahl – still there, high in the stands above one goal.
And two years later, when the FA disgracefully ordered England’s players to raise their arm in the Nazi salute before beating Germany in a friendly, it seemed that the British state was implicitly accepting Hitler’s authority and power.
The Three Lions have the opportunity to right that ancient wrong yet nothing can detract from the stadium’s place in the pantheon of sport’s darkest hours.
Read the full story HERE.