Former BBC presenter Dan Walker has defended the corporation's controversial decision to base its World Cup coverage in Salford rather than North America, after criticism erupted during the opening days of the tournament.
BBC Faces Backlash Over Studio Choice
The BBC has come under fire for choosing not to build a studio at the World Cup, unlike rivals ITV, who unveiled a striking set overlooking Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Critics have branded the BBC's approach a "work-from-home World Cup," while former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker previously mocked the broadcaster's plans by suggesting presenters would be stuck in a "green box in Salford."
Walker Defends BBC
Walker, who spent more than a decade fronting BBC Sport coverage before moving to Channel 5, has now come to the corporation's defence. Responding to images of ITV's New York base, he wrote on X: "As ITV unveil their super-snazzy Brooklyn studio for the World Cup I do feel a bit for the BBC who will be broadcasting games back in Salford. The location will have cost ITV a fortune and the BBC can't win... if they go then there is criticism every day about the cost and, if they don't go, they get hammered for staying at home. Must feel very distant at the moment though."
Debate with TV Critic
Walker then became involved in a debate with television critic Scott Bryan, who questioned whether broadcasting from Brooklyn actually improved coverage. Bryan wrote: "Ok but why is doing it at Brooklyn Bridge apparently better than a fully kitted out TV studio?" Walker replied: "It's an age old argument but... why send your political correspondent on a foreign trip with the PM? Why cover the Olympic 100m final in the stadium? Why actually travel to a war zone to report on it? Of course it can be done at distance but there is no substitute for actually being there and seeing things first hand. In a world of AI and fakery authenticity is still important."
BBC's Defence
The comments come amid growing scrutiny of the BBC's decision to keep its main presentation team in Greater Manchester for football's biggest tournament. The corporation insists it is not relying on a green-screen operation and has instead invested in a state-of-the-art studio at MediaCity in Salford featuring a giant wraparound LED screen capable of recreating cityscapes from across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Financial and Sustainability Arguments
BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski has defended the move, arguing that licence fee money must be spent carefully at a time when budgets are under pressure. "If these people were sitting somewhere else, would your viewing be massively changed?" he said. "We've still got pundits on the ground. Alan Shearer is there. Danny Murphy is there. Various commentators and journalists, too. I don't think the answer from a financial and sustainability point of view is to say everyone can go. I don't think that's a very clever way for me to spend licence-fee money."
Divided Opinions
The issue has divided opinion within broadcasting circles. Lineker, who left the BBC last year and is now fronting World Cup coverage for Netflix, argued that the tournament is television's biggest event and warrants a full on-site operation. "Come on, money's tight? It's the World Cup," he said. "It's the biggest television event you get every four years."
But BBC presenters have also publicly backed the decision. Gabby Logan, who will become the first woman to host a men's World Cup final on British television next month, said the broadcaster had to consider both sustainability and financial realities. "There are many, many good reasons why you would stay in one place in the UK for sustainability reasons," she said. "As you all know, this World Cup will be very expensive. We have to think about that — the belt is being tightened all the time."
