What channel will you watch the final on?

[Cal Alamein]

Univision for me.

[San Bernardhinault]

Sadly, probably ESPN because I don’t understand Spanish. It’ll be horribly pro-England biased (despite there probably being as many people of Italian descent in this country as people of English) because most of the commentary and studio team are English and they’re all a bit too invested in English “premier” league football. That said, it’s biased but not nearly as obnoxious as English TV will be.

The alternative would be the “English” Pub that’s about half a mile cycle from here. The idea of watching England in a major final in an English themed pub called “My Father’s Mustache” would test my loyalties to a serious extreme.

[Cal Alamein]

Plenty of pubs/bars will have it on in Abq, but even being vaccinated I’m hesitant to be sitting in a closed place for a couple of hours.

[Fussbudget]

No, it doesn't.

Ah that's a shame, ta. I've enjoyed McCoist on ITV so was hoping he might be on if there was a different Scottish commentary

[Third rate Leszno]

The pundits are better on ITV but I'd rather set fire to my own knackers than listen to Matterface again so it'll be BBC here. Might look at the 5 live option too.

[Sheep]

Sadly, probably ESPN because I don’t understand Spanish.

I'm gonna try to catch it on RAI, partially because I don't understand Italian.

[scratchmonkey]

I'm guessing ESPN will be Darke/Robson, as that's been their top team throughout the tournament, and they should be just fine, definitely not bad enough to send me over to Univision, which I think is actually better the less Spanish you understand.

[ursus arctos]

I regret to inform you that it is Darke and Twellman

[Gangster Octopus]

Genuinely surprised that anyone watches owt before and after any game. It's all just bollocks.

[diggedy derek]

Sam Matterface was bad beyond my wildest nightmares for the semi final, and I can’t envisage ever wanting to sit through him again.

I watched the semi final playback on BBC with Mowbray commentating, and he was actually relatively OK so it’s an easy decision.

This tournament I’ve watched virtually no build up or pundits and have enjoyed it much more

[lambers]

I'm going to watch it with my Dad, so probably BBC. I will try to tune out all punditry, although normally (when watching by myself as partner has no interest in football) I would turn to the channel at 1 minute before kick off, be ready with the mute button at half time and the off button at the final whistle.

[Sam]

TNT Sports, on a friend's terrace over some wine and an asado. Delayed celebration for tonight's result, so another hoped-for result would just be a bonus (albeit a very big one because the three or four of us there will all be English living in Argentina with Argentine families).

[Jah Womble]

Whichever channel The Grove in Balham chooses for us, I guess. (Hopefully the BBC, given the lack of ad-breaks.)

However, both broadcasters continuing to cover these major finals seems such a ridiculous throw-back. I mean, the days of simultaneous FA Cup final-broadcasts are long-gone - can’t they just take it in turns, like they do with the other tournament fixtures?

It’s only eighteen months-or so until the World Cup final, after all…

[Satchmo Distel]

The BBC has to do it because they are the "national broadcaster" and ITV because, presumably, it gets them a lot more advertising revenue than the alternatives would do (even if their audience is a lot smaller than the BBC one).

[Jah Womble]

I'm sure those reasons would've been trotted out when discussing the FA Cup all those years ago - yet the channels eventually seemed to find a way of resolving it.

(NB I appreciate that the World Cup/Euros has broader appeal than any club tournament.)

[DCI Harry Batt]

Spare me a thought though. Unless she manages to get someone to swap today, my wife has a late shift tomorrow at her nursing home that will mean she won't be home until half-time. Perhaps rashly, I've agreed not to watch the first half, but record it and watch the whole thing later with her. Of course, should England win I doubt very much that our time-lagged bubble will be sufficient to preserve us from the real world intruding in the shape of shouting neighbours, car horns and fireworks. Conversely, an ominous silence will tell us that the result went the other way. I might be able to make up some of the delay by fast-forwarding every time Kane falls over, Pickford boots the ball directly into touch or Shaw takes five minutes dithering over a throw-in, but I'm not hopeful. Sigh.

This sounds like a really terrible idea. You will both know the result at the time it happens, no matter what you've watched or haven't watch up to that point. It's a nice gesture of solidarity from you, to deny yourself the enjoyment of watching the game, though. So yeah. Fair play.

[gjw100]

This sounds like a really terrible idea. You will both know the result at the time it happens, no matter what you've watched or haven't watch up to that point. It's a nice gesture of solidarity from you, to deny yourself the enjoyment of watching the game, though. So yeah. Fair play.

Before she left for work earlier, my wife made me promise to watch the match from the beginning and not to worry about her missing the first half. A reminder (not that it's necessary) of why I still love her so much after nearly 40 years of marriage.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Phew.

[Stumpy Pepys]

It's on ZDF in Germany. Or I think you can watch it on ORF (Austrian TV)

[Sean of the Shed]

Before she left for work earlier, my wife made me promise to watch the match from the beginning and not to worry about her missing the first half. A reminder (not that it's necessary) of why I still love her so much after nearly 40 years of marriage.

Bless her. To be fair it would have been crap posting your observations about the game on here an hour after everyone else had.

[jwdd27]

Someone had definitely had a word with Matterface, he was very restrained by his standards although I muted him for the pens.