Why are England playing on Channel 4?
England have found a new broadcaster for many of their matches, with Channel 4 taking the reins.
The England men's football team have found a surprising new home – Channel 4.
The Three Lions regularly draw in major TV audiences with 56 million English residents to appease during international breaks.
Given the international nature of their exploits and with most games being played at Wembley, large swathes of the nation are cut off from following the team unless they're being shown on free-to-air TV.
Channel 4 isn't a usual destination for England – or football, for that matter – but it will be the home of Gareth Southgate's men for years to come following a groundbreaking deal.
RadioTimes.com explores why England will be playing on Channel 4 and how long the deal will run for.
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Why are England playing on Channel 4?
Channel 4 reportedly outbid ITV and Sky Sports for the honour of broadcasting all England games, outside of major tournament finals, live across its platforms.
The deal was struck in 2022 with six matches to be shown on Channel 4 this year ahead of the World Cup.
All of England's Euro 2024 qualifier matches will be shown live on Channel 4 in 2023 as well as Nations League and friendly games littered over the next couple of years.
The only games that won't be shown by Channel 4 are World Cup and Euro tournament finals as those rights will be split between BBC and ITV.
However, that is all great news for fans across the land who can now watch every single England game on free-to-air TV channels and online platforms.
The Channel 4 deal expires in 2024 and a new auction will be staged for the next round of rights.
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