BBC Sport promises to bring football fans closer to the heart of the action than ever before this summer after confirming its plans for extensive coverage of UEFA Euro 2016 in France.
The month-long festival of European football will see three home nations – England, Wales and Northern Ireland -compete in a major tournament for the first time since 1958, with the BBC set to bring fans every step of their journeys along with Europe’s elite across its TV, radio and online platforms.
The BBC will broadcast 140 hours of TV programming throughout the tournament, including 26 live matches, as well as extensive highlights on BBC One, BBC Two and the Red Button.
Presenting live from the heart of Paris with the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, Gary Lineker leads the BBC’s TV coverage from Paris, his ninth consecutive major football tournament as the corporation’s main presenter, alongside fellow hosts Mark Chapman and Dan Walker.
A raft of former international players will offer their insight and analysis throughout the competition, including England captains Alan Shearer and Rio Ferdinand, while Thierry Henry, who won the World Cup and European Championship with France, returns to the BBC having been part of its 2014 World Cup team.
The team of expert pundits will work alongside Match Of The Day mainstays and a well-established cast of former internationals including Danny Murphy, Jermaine Jenas, Robbie Savage, Martin Keown, John Hartson, Mark Lawrenson, Kevin Kilbane, Jens Lehmann, Neil Lennon, Gerry Armstrong, Chris Waddle, Danny Mills, Chris Brunt and Gerry Taggart.
There will also be ‘multi-platform’ contributions throughout the tournament from John Motson, Frank Lampard and Jurgen Klinsmann.
Guy Mowbray leads the BBC’s experienced commentary line-up, alongside established MOTD regulars Steve Wilson, Jonathan Pearce and Simon Brotherton.
Reporting on the ground in France will be Gabby Logan, who will provide all the latest news and reports from the England camp.
Stephen Watson will follow Northern Ireland, Jason Mohammad will report from the Wales camp, while Eilidh Barbour will provide regular updates from across the tournament.
Live games and a catch-up highlights programme will all be broadcast on BBC One, while fans can watch full match replays on BBC Two in the early hours, with another opportunity to see the big game of the day.
BBC Four and the Red Button will also broadcast simultaneous games throughout the group stages.
With an unprecedented Home Nations representation at a major football competition, BBC Wales and BBC Northern Ireland will offer additional extensive coverage for its audiences, primarily across radio and online platforms, though there will be no distinct TV offering during the tournament.
On Radio, Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates will be at the helm on Radio 5 live, with Germany’s former number one Jens Lehmann and former Northern Ireland defender Gerry Taggart joining the station’s commentary team.
Online, the BBC’s Euro 2016 digital service at bbc.co.uk/euro2016, the BBC Sport app, and BBC coverage through connected TVs, will feature live broadcasts of all BBC games, commentary and live text coverage of every game, with in-game highlight clips, on-demand highlights of every goal, breaking news, exclusive features and expert analysis.
Viewers will be able to join in the conversation across all BBC Sport social media platforms, and compete with pundits and friends in the new Euro 2016 Match Predictor and Team Selector.
There will also be behind-the-scenes access to the tournament with Gary Lineker and Dan Walker on Facebook Live, and Jermaine Jenas leading the new Match of the Day Snapchat account, while the BBC Sport Periscope account will broadcast live across France.
In addition to all the live action, there will be four additional BBC TV documentaries, one of which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Euro 96 – Alan Shearer’s Euro 96: When Football Came Home (BBC One, June 1).
Thierry Henry: My France. My Euros (BBC One, June 7) is a thought-provoking documentary about the former French International, focusing on the stories of Euros gone by and the social and cultural impact football has across Europe.
Sir David Jason presents Alfie’s Boys (BBC Two, May 22) the story of how Sir Alf Ramsey built a team to win the World Cup in 1966.
In addition, BBC Wales will produce a special documentary looking at Gareth Bale’s magical career and his journey with Wales from Euro 2016 qualification outsiders to history makers.
Commenting on the corporation’s coverage, Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport, said: “As excitement builds towards one of the most anticipated sporting events of 2016, we are delighted to bring audiences closer to the heart of the action than ever before with unparalleled coverage across TV, radio and enhanced personalised options across our digital services, available 24/7.
“Euro 2016 on the BBC will bring together a stellar cast of presenters, pundits and commentators who will guide audiences through every moment of the action, including the journey of all three home nations and the Republic of Ireland in France.
“This summer’s Championship will bring the nation together to witness unmissable sporting moments, captivating audiences of all ages on football’s biggest stage.”
The BBC’s TV coverage of UEFA Euro 2016 begins on Wednesday, June 8, with a Euro 2016 preview programme on BBC One at 10.45pm, presented by Gary Lineker, previewing the most anticipated matches, key players and talking points ahead of an action packed four weeks of football, plus reports from inside the camps of all the home nations.
