PUBLISHED ON 4 JUNE, 2012
There are now less than 100 hours to go until Euro 2012 kicks off and for the two major power forces of the terrestrial TV market, the next three weeks will be packed with top quality football.
Before those fans of EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street complain about their schedules being moved about, these tournaments only happen every two years for approximately a month - grin and bear it.
Once again, the BBC and ITV are ready to do battle again in their efforts to earn the most viewers. The BBC often comes out on top in these clashes and it will be interesting to see the different approaches each corporation has taken into adapting their Euro 2012 coverage.
ITV will be heading off to Warsaw for their coverage of this summer’s football festival and will screen more group games, including two of England and Ireland's fixtures from the premilinary rounds.
As expected, Adrian Chiles will be hosting the live action. Chiles has been the face of ITV football since Steve Rider was dropped in the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The established Matt Smith will be presenting regular highlights from the tournament with a team of pundits that includes a mix of knowledgeable former pros.
Civil
On many occasions, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira have come head-to-head on the football pitch. Now they will be put in a studio together and let’s hope it all stays civil between the Irishman and his fellow tough-tackling midfielder.
Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher is a shrewd addition to the line-up, having been part of the dire England experience in South Africa two years ago.
Regular pundit Gareth Southgate will be seen frequently and completing the studio faces will be Scot Gordon Strachan, veteran Andy Townsend and Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez.
Clive Tydlesey will lead the commentary team, backed up by Peter Drury, whilst Ned Boulting and Gabriel Clarke will be present with all the latest news from the training bases and inside the stadia.
ITV have also created a popular trailer, changing England’s fortunes down the years in major championships. The ‘It’s Good to Dream’ trailer which depicts England on an astonishing run of 552 games unbeaten as received over 200,000 hits on YouTube.
ITV will screen 15 live matches, including two of England’s three group matches, the tasty rematch between Portugal and Holland after the 2006 ‘Battle of Nuremberg’ and the final in Kiev.
A divide for the BBC
The BBC will broadcast 16 live games from the finals featuring England’s second group match with Sweden, Germany v Holland, both semi-finals and alongside ITV, the final.
The BBC’s main presentation team will stay in the UK and present from the new home of the corporation, MediaCityUK in Salford, although a smaller team will fly out to Poland and the Ukraine.
Gary Lineker will once again present the live coverage, like he has for every BBC major tournament since Euro 2000.
Colin Murray will dovetail his BBC Radio 5 Live duties to be the face of regular highlight programmes.
Match of the Day regulars Alan Hansen, Alan Shearer and Lee Dixon will be joined by a wealth of international experience.
Multiple Champions League winner and AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf, Euro 96 victorious captain Jurgen Klinsmann and Tottenham Hotspur manager and long-time favourite for the England vacancy, Harry Redknapp will also be part of the team.
No Motty
Euro 2012 will be the first European Championship that John Motson won’t be appearing for live commentary, having retired from this role four years ago.
Guy Mowbray, Steve Wilson, Jonathan Pearce and Simon Brotherton provide a stack of excellent main replacements though, assisted by Mark Lawrenson, Martin Keown, Mark Bright and former Republic of Ireland boss, Mick McCarthy.
Gabby Logan and Damien Johnson will be the BBC’s main personalities from within the England and Ireland training camps whilst Jake Humphrey steps down from the Formula One lead presenter role over the next month to bring live reports from the host cities, alongside the anchor of Football Focus, Dan Walker.
Having secured England’s international rights for the next three years after these finals, ITV will be determined to forget the nightmares of their World Cup coverage in 2010.
Then, Robbie Earle was sacked over a ticketing scandal, whilst other pundits simply looked out of their depth and all the live action looked hurried together.
The BBC is the traditional leader for football on terrestrial, despite not having as much live action in recent times.
It is a bigger summer for them with the Olympics on the horizon too, so they will want to beat ITV into submission and start a miserable and quiet summer for their big rivals.
Let battle commence!
TV schedule
Friday 8 June: Poland v Greece (BBC) 5pm, Russia v Czech Republic (ITV) 7.45pm
Saturday 9 June: Holland v Denmark (BBC) 5pm, Germany v Portugal (BBC) 7.45pm
Sunday 10 June: Spain v Italy (ITV) 5pm, Republic of Ireland v Croatia (ITV) 7.45pm
Monday 11 June: France v England (ITV) 5pm, Ukraine v Sweden (BBC) 7.45pm
Tuesday 12 June: Greece v Czech Republic (ITV) 5pm, Poland v Russia (ITV) 7.45pm
Wednesday 13 June: Denmark v Portugal (ITV) 5pm, Germany v Holland (BBC) 7.45pm
Thursday 14 June: Italy v Croatia (BBC) 5pm, Spain v Republic of Ireland (ITV) 7.45pm
Friday 15 June: Ukraine v France (ITV) 5pm, Sweden v England (BBC) 7.45pm
Saturday 16 June: Czech Republic v Poland & Greece v Russia (Both BBC) 7.45pm
Sunday 17 June: Denmark v Germany (ITV4) 7.45pm), Portugal v Holland (ITV1) 7.45pm
Monday 18 June: Croatia v Spain (BBC3) 7.45pm, Italy v Republic of Ireland (BBC1) 7.45pm
Tuesday 19 June: Ukraine v England (ITV1) 7.45pm, Sweden v France (ITV4) 7.45pm
Quarter-Finals – Two live games each although BBC get first pick should England progress
Semi-Finals – Both semi-finals are live on BBC, with late evening highlights on ITV
Final – Both BBC and ITV will broadcast the final simultaneously from Kiev on July 1
Watch ITV's Euro 2012 trailer: 'It's Good to Dream'
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