England supporters were left furious with ITV's coverage of the Three Lions' friendly against New Zealand ahead of the World Cup, with many vowing to switch to the BBC after broadcast feed issues marred the match. The broadcaster faced a barrage of criticism for shaky camerawork, poor picture quality, absence of commentary, and delayed audio during the game at the Raymond James Stadium in Florida.
Fan Outrage Over Technical Issues
Fans watching from Britain were stunned by the technical shortcomings. One supporter raged on X: "ITV picture quality on this England game is garbage. Like watching Mexico 86." Another said: "ITV apologies for the 70mins, plus HT of 'loss of sound'. What an absolute shambles of a network. Please, please, please, do not allow these amateurs to broadcast any important England game during the Fifa World Cup."
A third viewer added: "So ITV have decided to come back from the HT break, still without any commentary, any words, from anyone. 45mins plus they've had to sort that. Just silence, and ambient crowd noise. What an absolute shambles of a network they are."
Comparison with BBC Coverage
Many fans expressed a preference for BBC coverage. One said: "American host image + ITV = absolute s*** picture quality. World Cup will look crap on ITV, at least BBC will be having a 4k feed." Another added: "If this is the quality of football coverage we will be getting on ITV (Morocco v Norway) then it'll be BBC for me during the World Cup. Why is there no commentary on ITV4 for this game?"
However, some defended ITV, noting that the issues stemmed from the third-party feed. An ITV source told the Mirror that the match coverage came from a third-party provider, not ITV's own camera work. It remains unclear whether the same provider will be used for World Cup games, and ITV declined to comment further.
Match Highlights
On the pitch, Thomas Tuchel's side secured a 1-0 lead just before halftime when Harry Kane headed in a cross from Djed Spence. The starting XI included Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Jarrell Quansah, Djed Spence, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins, and Harry Kane.
Despite the win, the focus remained on ITV's broadcast quality. Many fans have already decided to switch to the BBC for the World Cup, hoping for a more reliable viewing experience.
