Some teams just seem to suit being on a certain channel during international tournaments.
Germany: BBC. Portugal: ITV. Spain: BBC. Brazil: ITV
There's no rhyme or reason to it, but as far as records go, England most certainly suit being on the BBC. A few years ago, England's record on the two main channels was brought to light with the Three Lions being so poor on ITV that there were even suggestions of a curse.
In years past, both the BBC and ITV shared games, but by France 98, games were typically held on one broadcaster or another with the odd exceptions down the years. Finals, for example, are held on both channels, as were the knockout games in 2002.
Dating back to Euro 1996 after a lengthy terrestrial absence owing to England not needing to qualify for the tournament and having failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, England have had 38 games on the BBC and 41 on ITV (with seven being shown on both).
It stands to reason that their record across both broadcasters would be fairly similar, yet it's anything but.
England's win ratio on the BBC since Euro 1996 is 63%, winning 24 of their 28 games, drawing 10 and losing four. On ITV, however, their ratio dips to 34%, having won just 14 out of 41 games.
It's not even that England have harder games on ITV, with the BBC getting the group games; ITV have shown 16 England knockout games to the BBC's 18.
While the BBC had England's 4-1 loss to Germany in 2010, ITV have shown the defeat to Uruguay at the 2014 World Cup, the humiliation against Iceland in 2016 and the two draws with the USA and Algeria at the 2010 World Cup.
The BBC actually had a 13-game unbeaten run (if counting the penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy in 2021 as a draw), while ITV actually went 10 major tournament games without showing an England win, which included the defeats to Uruguay, Iceland, Croatia and the Euro 2020 draw with Scotland.
Of England's last six tournament eliminations, all have been shown on ITV, with two finals also being shown on the BBC. From 2000 to 2012, all six of England's eliminations were shown on the BBC, though three of them came on penalties.
Ahead of Norway v England, we've taken a look at every one of England's tournament games since Euro 1996, with penalty shoot-outs deemed a draw.
England elimination by broadcaster
Broadcaster | Tournament | Elimination |
BBC + ITV | Euro 1996 | Germany on penalties (round of 16) |
ITV | 1998 World Cup | Argentina on penalties (round of 16) |
BBC | Euro 2000 | Romania (group stage) |
BBC + ITV | 2002 World Cup | Brazil (quarter-final) |
BBC | Euro 2004 | Portugal on penalties (quarter-final) |
BBC | 2006 World Cup | Portugal on penalties (quarter-final) |
BBC | 2010 World Cup | Germany (round of 16) |
BBC | Euro 2012 | Italy on penalties (quarter-final) |
ITV | 2014 World Cup | Uruguay (group stage) |
ITV | Euro 2016 | Iceland (round of 16) |
ITV | 2018 World Cup | Croatia (semi-final) |
BBC + ITV | Euro 2020 | Italy on penalties (final) |
ITV | 2022 World Cup | France (quarter-final) |
BBC + ITV | Euro 2024 | Spain (final) |
England's results by broadcaster
Broadcaster | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
ITV | Euro 1996 | Switzerland | 1-1 (D) |
BBC | Euro 1996 | Scotland | 2-0 (W) |
ITV | Euro 1996 | Netherlands | 4-1 (W) |
BBC + ITV | Euro 1996 | Spain | 0-0 (D)* |
BBC + ITV | Euro 1996 | Germany | 1-1 (D)** |
BBC | 1998 World Cup | Tunisia | 2-0 (W) |
ITV | 1998 World Cup | Romania | 2-1 (L) |
BBC | 1998 World Cup | Colombia | 2-0 (W) |
ITV | 1998 World Cup | Argentina | 2-2 (D)** |
ITV | Euro 2000 | Portugal | 3-2 (L) |
BBC + ITV | Euro 2000 | Germany | 1-0 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2000 | Romania | 3-2 (L) |
ITV | 2002 World Cup | Sweden | 1-1 (D) |
BBC | 2002 World Cup | Argentina | 1-0 (W) |
BBC | 2002 World Cup | Nigeria | 0-0 (D) |
BBC + ITV | 2002 World Cup | Denmark | 3-0 (W) |
BBC + ITV | 2002 World Cup | Brazil | 2-1 (W) |
ITV | Euro 2004 | France | 2-1 (L) |
ITV | Euro 2004 | Switzerland | 3-0 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2004 | Croatia | 4-2 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2004 | Portugal | 2-2 (D)* |
BBC | 2006 World Cup | Paraguay | 1-0 (W) |
ITV | 2006 World Cup | Trinidad & Tobago | 2-0 (W) |
ITV | 2006 World Cup | Sweden | 2-2 (D) |
BBC | 2006 World Cup | Ecuador | 1-0 (W) |
BBC | 2006 World Cup | Portugal | 0-0 (D)** |
ITV | 2010 World Cup | USA | 1-1 (D) |
ITV | 2010 World Cup | Algeria | 0-0 (D) |
BBC | 2010 World Cup | Slovenia | 1-0 (W) |
BBC | 2010 World Cup | Germany | 4-1 (L) |
ITV | Euro 2012 | France | 1-1 (D) |
BBC | Euro 2012 | Sweden | 3-2 (W) |
ITV | Euro 2012 | Ukraine | 1-0 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2012 | Italy | 0-0 (D)** |
BBC | 2014 World Cup | Italy | 2-1 (L) |
ITV | 2014 World Cup | Uruguay | 2-0 (L) |
ITV | 2014 World Cup | Costa Rica | 0-0 (D) |
ITV | Euro 2016 | Russia | 1-1 (D) |
BBC | Euro 2016 | Wales | 2-1 (W) |
ITV | Euro 2016 | Slovakia | 0-0 (D) |
ITV | Euro 2016 | Iceland | 2-1 (L) |
BBC | 2018 World Cup | Tunisia | 2-1 (W) |
BBC | 2018 World Cup | Panama | 6-1 (W) |
ITV | 2018 World Cup | Belgium | 1-0 (L) |
ITV | 2018 World Cup | Colombia | 1-1 (D) |
BBC | 2018 World Cup | Sweden | 2-0 (W) |
ITV | 2018 World Cup | Croatia | 2-1 (L) |
ITV | 2018 World Cup | Belgium | 2-0 (L) |
BBC | Euro 2020 | Croatia | 1-0 (W) |
ITV | Euro 2020 | Scotland | 0-0 (D) |
ITV | Euro 2020 | Czech Republic | 1-0 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2020 | Germany | 2-0 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2020 | Ukraine | 4-0 (W) |
ITV | Euro 2020 | Denmark | 2-1 (W) |
BBC + ITV | Euro 2020 | Italy | 1-1 (D) |
BBC | 2022 World Cup | Iran | 6-2 (W) |
ITV | 2022 World Cup | USA | 0-0 (D) |
BBC | 2022 World Cup | Wales | 3-0 (W) |
ITV | 2022 World Cup | Senegal | 3-0 (W) |
ITV | 2022 World Cup | France | 2-1 (L) |
BBC | Euro 2024 | Serbia | 1-0 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2024 | Denmark | 1-1 (D) |
ITV | Euro 2024 | Slovenia | 0-0 (D) |
ITV | Euro 2024 | Slovakia | 2-1 (W) |
BBC | Euro 2024 | Switzerland | 1-1 (D) |
ITV | Euro 2024 | Netherlands | 2-1 (W) |
BBC + ITV | Euro 2024 | Spain | 2-1 (L) |
ITV | 2026 World Cup | Croatia | 4-2 (W) |
BBC | 2026 World Cup | Ghana | 0-0 (D) |
ITV | 2026 World Cup | Panama | 2-0 (W) |
BBC | 2026 World Cup | DR Congo | 2-1 (W) |
BBC | 2026 World Cup | Mexico | 3-2 (W) |
ITV | 2026 World Cup | Norway | TBC |
*England won on penalties
**England lost on penalties
