TNT Sports agrees FA Cup deal

Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed a deal with the FA that will see the men’s FA Cup broadcast on TNT Sports. 

The four-year agreement begins from the 2025/26 season, with the broadcaster to showcase live matches from the First Round, and then every game from the Third Round outside of 3pm kick offs. Selected matches will be available free-to-air, with further details of who the free-to-air broadcaster will be to be revealed at a later date.

TNT Sports will also air The FA Community Shield, and The FA Youth Cup Semi Finals and Final. These matches and those from the FA Cup will also be available through its streaming platform, discovery+.

This isn’t the first time that the FA Cup has been shown partly through a pay-TV broadcaster. TNT Sports predecessor BT Sport aired the competition alongside the BBC from the 2014/15 campaign until 2021/22, when ITV and the BBC took it back to wholly free-to-air. 

Mark Bullingham, FA chief executive, said: “The Emirates FA Cup is our crown jewel, and it helps us to provide vital investment across every level of English football, supporting clubs, communities, facilities and the wider grassroots game. Every season, and across every round, The Emirates FA Cup creates incredible moments and unforgettable memories for fans, and this new partnership will see selected matches shown live on TNT Sports, as well as free-to-air, from the First Round of the competition through to the Final at Wembley Stadium.

“TNT Sports are an outstanding broadcaster with an impressive record of showing some of the biggest and best sporting events around the world, so we are delighted to be working with them on our shared commitment and long-term vision that will ensure the Emirates FA Cup continues to thrive over the coming years.”

Andrew Georgiou, president & managing director of Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland and WBD Sports Europe, said: “TNT Sports is proud to partner with The FA to present more matches of the world’s most prestigious domestic cup competition than ever before alongside our great line up of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League and club competitions, bringing even more live football to our TNT Sports customers.

“The Emirates FA Cup and the incredible stories it creates every season goes well beyond football, making TNT Sports the perfect home as we continue to tell the stories that matter most to the fans. We have a huge amount of respect for the place that this world-famous competition has in the hearts of football fans and that’s why continuing to ensure we maintain a level of free-to-air coverage is important for us and The FA.”