Is the loss of FA Cup rights for Freeview Channels damaging for Fans?

Starting in the 2025/2026 season, the FA cup will be aired on TNT sports, with select games being shown on Freeview channels.

This has been a case which seemed inevitable through the chages in the power of free to view media like BBC and ITV in comparison to the premium Sports channels like Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

Since broadcasting first came to fruition in the UK during the 1940s after the Second World War, the FA Cup final seemed to become a staple of television, with fans all across the country gathering around to watch the historic tournament especially the final at the home of English Football, Wembley Stadium.

It was even dislodging other programmes on BBC and ITV to accompany its fixtures, which only shows how these channels value the FA Cup in terms of the culture and for the people who are watching. However, this seemed to be somethig which was bound to happen for some time now.

BBC and ITV used to be where you would get all of your football well up until the 1990s with the introduction of Sky Sports. In 1992, Sky Sports acquired the rights to air the Premier League games on their channels with the BBC getting highlight packages to use for their Match Of The Day packages. This was a major step as it meant fans had to pay for Sky i order to watch the team they support play live or they could opt to just watch the highlights package on Match Of The Day.

In September 2002 however, both ITV and Sky acquire the rights to the Champions League nights exclusively. In 2015 however, either were involved with the live coverage as BT Sport would get the exclusive rights of the Champions League games with ITV only having the highlights packages, like what BBC had with the Premier League.

Similarly with the BBC's situation 23 years prior, this could price out some fans who want to watch games live from home having already been priced out from going to games whether that is due to travel expenses or ticket prices having been increased by clubs.

The FA Cup is a competition however that felt to fans like one that would not be touched for fans. It was a tournament that epitomises the football culture with all professional teams having outside chances of winning or even just getting to Wembley (some more than others). Although this may have positive impacts for lower clubs financially, this will ultimately leave fans disheartened as they risk not seeing potential cup runs from their teams they have grown up with and may never see again.