Gary Lineker quit the BBC — or the BBC quit him, depending on who you ask — and landed on his feet in a way that will sting his former employers every time they glance out a Salford window. Netflix are paying him €16 million to host The Rest is Football from New York City, overlooking Times Square, with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards alongside him and a rotating cast of guests.
Meanwhile, the BBC's World Cup operation will be anchored in Greater Manchester for the opening month of the tournament. Not exactly the dream posting when your commercial rival, ITV, is setting up shop in Brooklyn with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop.
Lineker couldn't resist. "I would have been in Salford in a green box — now I'm going to be in New York City overlooking Times Square with lots of great guests." Whether or not you think he was treated fairly by the BBC last year, that's a line that lands.
Who's actually on your screen this summer
BBC's punditry roster has genuine firepower: Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, and Micah Richards lead the line, with Olivier Giroud, Gaël Clichy and César Azpilicueta providing continental credibility. Thomas Frank also features — one of two former Spurs managers in the mix, Ange Postecoglou being the other, over at ITV.
ITV's main presenters are Mark Pougatch and Laura Woods, with Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Gary Neville around the desk. That combination alone will generate more column inches than most of the group-stage matches. Patrick Vieira and Juan Mata add tactical depth to what could otherwise become a shouting competition.
Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan have taken over Match of the Day hosting duties from Lineker, and one of them will front the BBC's coverage of the final. Which one? Still undecided, apparently. They'll at least get to leave Salford for the final week in the States.
RTÉ watching from the Dodder — again
Ireland won't be at this tournament. That's 24 years and counting since the Republic made it to a major finals, the Czech Republic ending the most recent qualification campaign with the efficiency of someone returning a library book.
RTÉ's hosting duties will be shared across Joanne Cantwell, Peter Collins, Marie Crowe, Jacqui Hurley, Clare MacNamara and Tony O'Donoghue — most of them working from Donnybrook rather than any of the three host nations. Pundits include Richie Sadlier, Didi Hamann, Kenny Cunningham, Shay Given, Kevin Doyle, Niamh Fahey, Áine O'Gorman and Alan Cawley, with James McClean making his World Cup punditry debut.
Ray Houghton and Ronnie Whelan will co-comment. Whelan, reportedly, will complain about the heat regardless of whether he's in Texas or Montrose.
The scheduling is going to be ugly for European viewers. Thirteen different kick-off times across four time zones, 104 matches over 39 days. The games sympathetic to Irish audiences — those between 5pm and 10pm local time — are a minority. The semi-finals and final, all at 8pm, offer some relief. Anyone working night shifts has accidentally drawn the best seat in the house.
The BBC and ITV will at least send their crews stateside for the knockout rounds. RTÉ's talent will largely be watching the same matches you are — just on a slightly bigger screen.
