ITV’s Nightmare as ‘Met Police Step in’ for FA Cup Final between Man Utd and Man City
The FA Cup final kick-off time may be brought forward for the second year in a row due to concerns about fan trouble. Metropolitan Police are reportedly worried about potential issues and prefer an earlier start, possibly at 3pm, to minimize risks around Wembley Stadium.
Last year’s final was already moved up to 3pm to address similar concerns, which can clash with the broadcasting of the European Champions Cup final. This scheduling conflict poses a challenge for ITV, the rights holders for both events.
ITV also holds the broadcasting rights to rugby union’s European Champions Cup final, scheduled to start at 2:45pm on the same day. If the FA Cup final kicks off at 3pm, it could potentially lead to a clash between the two events and force the rugby to be moved to ITV4, affecting their viewership.
However, the European Champions Cup organizers are reluctant to change the kick-off time due to other events taking place on the same day. Discussions between key stakeholders, including police, local council, and broadcasters, are ongoing to address these scheduling conflicts and determine the FA Cup final kick-off time.
The decision is expected to be announced later this week. Last season, Manchester City emerged victorious over Manchester United in the FA Cup final, winning 2-1.
There are high stakes for this year’s final, with City securing their spot in the match by defeating Chelsea in the semi-final.
