The World Cup is the most viewed sporting event in the world and that means the television coverage of the tournament is catering to a colossal audience.
Networks across the globe do everything they can to ensure that supporters and neutral observers alike want to tune in to their channels to take in the action.
That usually involves serving up the perfect cocktail of charisma and controversy, which can be achieved with the right blend of presenters and pundits.
In the United Kingdom, the BBC and ITV share the broadcasting rights to the World Cup and the two channels will attempt to outdo each other in the joust for ratings supremacy.
Ahead of the tournament, Goal breaks down who will be involved in the coverage of each channel, as well as what game is on where.
World Cup pundits & presenters on BBC
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BBC's coverage of the World Cup is chaired by the inimitable Gary Lineker, who has firmly established himself as one of the leading sports presenters in the UK since hanging up his boots.
Gabby Logan joins the former England and Barcelona star on the team, covering news from the England camp, with Dan Walker, Mark Chapman and Jason Mohammed also at the tournament.
Lineker et al will lead analysis from a host of former and current players, with a team that includes former England internationals Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer.
Phil Neville, Alex Scott, Danny Murphy, Martin Keown and Jermaine Jenas also join the contingent of ex-Three Lions pundits on the BBC team.
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Insight from former England stars will be complemented by alternative perspectives, with the likes of Didier Drogba, Pablo Zabaleta and former Germany and USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann on the panel.
Spain international Cesc Fabregas, who supplied the assist for Andres Iniesta's winner in the 2010 World Cup final, was another late addition to the group.
What about the commentary?
Commentary for games on the BBC will be brought to viewers through the familiar voices of Guy Mowbray, Jonathan Pearce, Steve Wilson, Steve Bower and Simon Brotherton, with Vicki Sparks becoming the first woman to commentate on the World Cup on British TV.
Those individuals will be assisted in their duties by former Republic of Ireland internationals Kevin Kilbane and Mark Lawrenson, who are regular voices on BBC's match coverage.
World Cup pundits, presenters on ITV
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Broadcaster Mark Pougatch is the anchorman for ITV's 2018 World Cup coverage, having previously led the station's Euro 2016 and Champions League programmes, with Jacqui Oatley, Gabriel Clarke and Seema Jaswal presenting on the ground in Russia.
ITV will have a veritable mix of personalities and they will no doubt be hoping to snag a few Sky Sports viewers after recruiting the services of Gary Neville, whose analysis has proven very popular on the premium channel.
Neville's former Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane, who is an ITV regular, will also be on the panel and viewers can expect some more of the Irishman's typically blunt analysis in studio, while Wales manager Ryan Giggs will also be involved.
Other ex-England internationals on ITV's punditry team include Lee Dixon and Ian Wright, with the latter perhaps more familiar as a face on BBC's Match of the Day programme, while Three Lioness striker Eniola Aluko is also part of the group.
Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill, who famously delivered a sardonic rebuke to Fabio Cannavaro and Patrick Vieira in ITV's 2014 World Cup coverage, reprises his role as a pundit after failing to steer the Boys in Green to Russia.
Patrice Evra should certainly be an interesting addition to ITV's line-up if the former France international's 'I Love This Game' videos are anything to go by.
Former Celtic and Barcelona star Henrik Larsson will be able to give some insight into Sweden's efforts, while Slaven Bilic will hope to assess some positive Croatia performances.
Interestingly, referee Mark Clattenburg will also be on the ITV team and he will be able to provide some expert deconstruction of the officiating, which should be fascinating considering the use of VAR at the tournament.
What about the commentary?
The unmistakeable tones of Clive Tyldesley, Jon Champion, Joe Speight and Sam Matterface will bring match commentary to us on ITV.
They'll be assisted on co-commentary duty by Glenn Hoddle, who led England at the 1998 World Cup, Ally McCoist and Iain Dowie.
Full World Cup 2018 UK TV schedule
JOE KLAMAR
All 64 World Cup games will be shown live on TV in the UK and they have been split between BBC and ITV.
In all, the BBC will show a total of 33 tournament matches, while ITV will broadcast 32, with both channels airing the final.
You can see the full breakdown of World Cup 2018 TV coverage in the UK below, including games, dates and times.
Thursday June 14, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia vs Saudi Arabia | Group A | 4pm | ITV |
Friday June 15, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt vs Uruguay | Group A | 1pm | BBC One |
| Morocco vs Iran | Group B | 4pm | ITV |
| Portugal vs Spain | Group B | 7pm | BBC One |
Saturday June 16, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| France vs Australia | Group C | 11am | BBC One |
| Argentina vs Iceland | Group D | 2pm | ITV |
| Peru vs Denmark | Group C | 5pm | BBC One |
| Croatia vs Nigeria | Group D | 8pm | ITV |
Sunday, June 17, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica vs Serbia | Group E | 1pm | ITV |
| Germany vs Mexico | Group F | 4pm | BBC One |
| Brazil vs Switzerland | Group E | 7pm | ITV |
Monday June 18, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden vs South Korea | Group F | 1pm | ITV |
| Belgium vs Panama | Group G | 4pm | BBC One |
| Tunisia vs England | Group G | 7pm | BBC One |
Tuesday June 19, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia vs Japan | Group H | 1pm | BBC One |
| Poland vs Senegal | Group H | 4pm | ITV |
| Russia vs Egypt | Group A | 7pm | BBC One |
Wednesday June 20, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal vs Morocco | Group B | 1pm | BBC One |
| Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia | Group A | 4pm | BBC One |
| Iran vs Spain | Group B | 7pm | ITV |
Thursday June 21, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark vs Australia | Group C | 1pm | ITV |
| France vs Peru | Group C | 4pm | ITV |
| Argentina vs Croatia | Group D | 7pm | BBC One |
Friday June 22, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil vs Costa Rica | Group E | 1pm | ITV |
| Nigeria vs Iceland | Group D | 4pm | BBC One |
| Serbia vs Switzerland | Group E | 7pm | BBC One |
Saturday June 23, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium vs Tunisia | Group G | 1pm | BBC One |
| South Korea vs Mexico | Group F | 4pm | ITV |
| Germany vs Sweden | Group F | 7pm | ITV |
Sunday June 24, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| England vs Panama | Group G | 1pm | BBC One |
| Japan vs Senegal | Group H | 4pm | BBC One |
| Poland vs Colombia | Group H | 7pm | ITV |
Monday June 25, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay vs Russia | Group A | 3pm | ITV |
| Saudi Arabia vs Egypt | Group A | 3pm | ITV 4 |
| Iran vs Portugal | Group B | 7pm | BBC Four |
| Spain vs Morocco | Group B | 7pm | BBC One |
Tuesday June 26, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark vs France | Group C | 3pm | ITV |
| Australia vs Peru | Group C | 3pm | ITV 4 |
| Nigeria vs Argentina | Group D | 7pm | BBC One |
| Iceland vs Croatia | Group D | 7pm | BBC Four |
Wednesday June 27, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea vs Germany | Group F | 3pm | BBC One |
| Mexico vs Sweden | Group F | 3pm | BBC Two |
| Serbia vs Brazil | Group E | 7pm | ITV |
| Switzerland vs Costa Rica | Group E | 7pm | ITV 4 |
Thursday June 28, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan vs Poland | Group H | 3pm | BBC Two |
| Senegal vs Colombia | Group H | 3pm | BBC One |
| England vs Belgium | Group G | 7pm | ITV |
| Panama vs Tunisia | Group G | 7pm | ITV 4 |
Saturday June 30, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| France vs Argentina | Round of 16 | 3pm | BBC One |
| Uruguay vs Portugal | Round of 16 | 7pm | ITV |
Sunday July 1, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain vs Russia | Round of 16 | 3pm | BBC One |
| Croatia vs Denmark | Round of 16 | 7pm | ITV |
Monday July 2, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil vs Mexico | Round of 16 | 3pm | ITV |
| Belgium vs Japan | Round of 16 | 7pm | BBC One |
Tuesday July 3, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden vs Switzerland | Round of 16 | 3pm | BBC One |
| Colombia vs England | Round of 16 | 7pm | ITV |
Friday July 6, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-finalist 1 vs Quarter-finalist 2 | Quarter-finals | 3pm | TBC |
| Quarter-finalist 5 vs Quarter-finalist 6 | Quarter-finals | 7pm | TBC |
Saturday July 7, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-finalist 7 vs Quarter-finalist 8 | Quarter-finals | 3pm | TBC |
| Quarter-finalist 3 vs Quarter-finalist 4 | Quarter-finals | 7pm | TBC |
Tuesday July 10, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-finalist 1 vs Semi-finalist 2 | Semi-finals | 7pm | TBC |
Wednesday July 11, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-finalist 3 vs Semi-finalist 4 | Semi-finals | 7pm | TBC |
Saturday July 14, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-final 1 loser vs Semi-final 2 loser | Third-place play-off | 3pm | TBC |
Sunday July 15, 2018
| Match | Group / stage | Kick-off time (BST) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-final 1 winner vs Semi-final 2 winner | Final | 4pm | BBC One / ITV |
Full World Cup 2018 UK radio schedule
While TV coverage is split between the BBC and ITV, radio coverage will only be available to listen to on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The station will be broadcasting every World Cup match, so will be your go-to alternative if you're in transit or the TV gives out.
Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates will lead 5 Live's offering, with the likes of Pat Nevin, Chris Sutton, Chris Waddle, Dion Dublin and Terry Butcher on hand for co-commentary.
