ITV has been branded 'editorially bankrupt' after its 6pm news bulletin led with coverage of England's World Cup match against the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the game being broadcast live on rival channel BBC. The match, which saw Harry Kane lead England to a 2-1 victory, aired on BBC One from Atlanta Stadium in Georgia, with coverage starting at 4pm BST on July 1, 2026.
Viewer backlash over news prioritisation
Viewers took to social media to express their frustration that football dominated the news agenda across channels. One X user wrote: '@itvnews are leading their 6 o'clock news with an England World Cup update, from a match being shown live on BBC. No thought whatsoever for those viewers who wish to see NEWS. Editorially bankrupt.' Another viewer echoed: 'Can't escape it, honestly sick of football.' A third added: 'You'd expect nothing less from them though eh?'
ITV's World Cup coverage controversy
The broadcasters have been sharing World Cup coverage, but ITV's decision to prioritise the match in its news bulletin sparked accusations of poor editorial judgement. The controversy comes as World Cup fans also criticised former England striker Wayne Rooney for his penalty remark during the match. Rooney insisted the referee was correct not to award England a penalty when striker Harry Kane went down in the box. One fan fumed: 'Rooney talking complete s**t there. That is an absolute stonewall penalty. It doesn't matter Kane is looking for it and made the contact, the keeper lead with the hands, narrowed the angle and doesn't win the ball! He gave Kane no choice. To not go to the screen is a f***ing joke.' Another said: 'No idea what Rooney's talking about re: the pen. If that was Rooney playing at Old Trafford, it's a penalty 1,000 out of 1,000 times.'
