England Men’s Football Matches Return to ITV in New TV Deal

ITV has secured a major new broadcasting agreement that will see England men’s football matches return to the channel from 2024.

Under the new UEFA rights deal, ITV will become the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster for all England men’s senior matches outside major tournament finals from September 2024 until June 2028.

The agreement means England internationals will leave Channel 4 after its current contract ends, returning coverage to ITV for the next four-year cycle.

What Matches Will ITV Show?

The new deal covers:

• England World Cup qualifiers
• UEFA European Championship qualifiers
• UEFA Nations League matches
• International friendlies

ITV will show:

• All home matches
• All away matches
• Exclusive live coverage
• Free-to-air broadcasts across ITV channels and ITVX

The first qualifying campaign under the new agreement will be England’s attempt to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, followed by qualification matches for UEFA Euro 2028.

In total, ITV expects to broadcast at least 40 England matches during the deal period.

England Matches Leave Channel 4

The announcement means Channel 4 will lose the rights it has held since 2022.

Channel 4 had previously secured England football coverage in a move that surprised many football fans at the time. However, ITV has now regained the rights through a new UEFA agreement.

Reaction among viewers has been mixed.

Some fans welcomed the return to ITV, seeing it as the traditional home of England football coverage. Others preferred Channel 4’s more modern presentation style. Online discussions also showed divided opinions regarding commentators and pundit line-ups.

ITV Continues Expanding Sports Coverage

The agreement further strengthens ITV Sport’s growing sports portfolio.

ITV already broadcasts:

• UEFA European Championships
• FA Cup football
• Rugby World Cup
• Six Nations rugby
• EFL highlights
• NFL coverage
• La Liga highlights

The broadcaster currently shares coverage of:

• UEFA Euro 2024
• UEFA Euro 2028

with the BBC.

Adding exclusive England international coverage gives ITV one of the strongest free-to-air football portfolios in the UK television market.

Free-to-Air Football Remains Important

One of the biggest aspects of the deal is that England matches remain available free-to-air.

At a time when more football continues moving behind subscription services such as:

• Sky Sports
• TNT Sports
• DAZN
• Amazon Prime Video

England internationals will still be available without requiring a paid sports subscription.

This remains important for:

• Casual viewers
• Families
• Younger audiences
• Public accessibility

UEFA and broadcasters continue to see England internationals as major national events capable of attracting large mainstream audiences.

ITVX Streaming Will Also Carry Matches

As well as traditional television broadcasts, matches will also stream online through ITVX.

This reflects changing viewing habits as more audiences watch football via:

• Smart TVs
• Mobile devices
• Streaming apps
• Tablets
• Internet-connected televisions

ITV has heavily expanded ITVX over recent years as part of its strategy to compete with major streaming platforms.

The England football deal is expected to become a major driver for ITVX sports viewing.

Watching England Matches in Spain

British viewers in Spain will still be able to access England matches through:

• ITV satellite broadcasts
• Freesat
• Sky satellite systems
• ITVX streaming

However, ITVX streaming remains officially restricted to UK viewers.

To access ITVX in Spain, viewers normally require:

• A VPN service
• A Smart DNS service

These services route internet traffic through UK servers, allowing access to UK-only streaming platforms.

Satellite reception remains popular for live football viewing in Spain, particularly for viewers wanting:

• Reliable live coverage
• HD broadcasts
• Stable reception without internet buffering

However, streaming usage continues growing rapidly, especially in homes using:

• Fibre broadband
• Starlink internet
• 5G internet services

The Competition for Sports Rights Continues

The new ITV deal highlights the continuing battle between broadcasters for premium sports rights.

Live sport remains one of the most valuable television products because it:

• Attracts large live audiences
• Drives advertising revenue
• Encourages streaming subscriptions
• Generates social media engagement

Broadcasters increasingly see football rights as critical for maintaining audience share in an increasingly competitive streaming market.

What This Means for Viewers

For England fans, the new agreement means:

• Continued free-to-air coverage
• All qualifiers live on ITV
• Streaming access via ITVX
• More integrated football coverage across ITV Sport

Many viewers will likely welcome the return of England matches to ITV, especially those familiar with ITV’s long history of football broadcasting.

The deal also provides long-term certainty for England coverage leading into:

• The 2026 FIFA World Cup
• UEFA Euro 2028

Final Thoughts

ITV’s new agreement to broadcast England men’s football matches marks a major win for the broadcaster and ensures England internationals remain available free-to-air for UK viewers.

With exclusive live coverage from 2024 through to 2028, ITV once again becomes the primary television home for England men’s football outside major tournament finals.

For viewers in Spain, access will still be available through satellite TV and streaming platforms, although ITVX users abroad will continue needing VPN or Smart DNS services to bypass UK geo-restrictions.