ITV's coverage of England's pre-World Cup friendly against New Zealand has drawn widespread criticism from fans, who lambasted the broadcaster for poor picture quality, shaky camerawork, and audio issues. Many supporters have pledged to avoid ITV's World Cup broadcasts and instead stick with the BBC.
Fan Outrage Over Technical Issues
During the match at the Raymond James Stadium in Florida on Saturday evening, viewers in Britain reported a range of problems, including shaky camera angles, low-resolution footage, delayed audio, and a complete absence of commentary for extended periods. Social media was flooded with complaints, with one fan describing the quality as 'garbage' and comparing it to 'watching Mexico 86.'
Another frustrated viewer wrote: 'ITV apologies for the 70 mins, plus HT of loss of sound. What an absolute shambles of a network. Please do not allow these amateurs to broadcast any important England game during the Fifa World Cup.' A third added: 'American host image + ITV = absolute s*** picture quality. World Cup will look crap on ITV, at least BBC will be having a 4k feed.'
ITV's Response and Defenders
An ITV source told the Mirror that the match coverage originated from a third-party feed, not from ITV's own cameras or transmission. The broadcaster declined to comment further on whether the same external provider would supply footage for World Cup matches.
Some viewers came to ITV's defense, noting that similar issues occurred on the BBC during Scotland's game. One user suggested: 'It's using a different broadcast/feed. The World Cup broadcast will be completely different and hopefully better.'
Match Highlights
On the pitch, England secured a 1-0 victory over New Zealand thanks to a first-half header from Harry Kane. The goal came just before half-time when Djed Spence delivered a cross from the left wing, and Kane lost his marker to direct a header home at the far post. Thomas Tuchel's side now heads into the World Cup with a morale-boosting win.
