How will the networks do this time?

The BBC and ITV will return to their biennial scrap as the world’s biggest sporting events hits our television screens next June.

While the European Championships do not hold quite the same amount of pull, the pair of networks never miss a chance to outdo each other, so while BBC emerged with exclusive rights to the Final, ITV came away with the plaudits.

World Cup 2010 sees the return of England, but television audiences barely seemed affected by their absence from the Euros last year. Those millions represented the omnipresent hunger to watch football, the bulk of the audience made up from fans who do not wish to pay inordinate sums to get a weekly fix.

Euro 2008 was a fabulous tournament, but will always lack stature from an English fan’s perspective. It was almost a blessing that the incessant partisanship from the broadcasters could be left behind, leaving them to focus on high-quality, thrilling football without updates on Wayne Rooney’s foot every other minute.

And it was ITV who dealt best with England’s absence. Their hunger to impress audiences was evident from the first broadcast. Meanwhile, the BBC’s coverage was passionless, disinterested and tired.

The opening sequences were symbolic of the networks’ varying levels of success. The BBC opted for an animated sequence that would have always been limited, but eventually seemed clumsy, childish and cheap. The background music held no resonance and didn’t, unlike in 1990 or 2006, stick in the mind.

ITV, instead, presented a colourful, moving sequence. They also adopted a cartoon-themed opening, but the players – and their pertinent emotions – were clearly visible, and the choice of music was inspired. Natash Marsh covered the “Queen of the night” aria from Mozart’s most famous opera, The Magic Flute. It was an excellent rendition that ably prepared audiences for the theatre that awaited them.

Ultimately, however, the matches are the core of the networks’ coverage. Once again, ITV chose best and were rewarded with some fantastic spectacles. The opening game was typically mind-numbing (BBC) but the same night Pepe scored one of the goals of the tournament for Portugal (ITV).

The worst game of the tournament, Romania-France, arrived on BBC1 but just a couple of hours later, the thrilling, controversy-filled Netherlands-Italy treated ITV1’s viewers. And so the pattern largely continued, culminating in the tournament’s best and most dramatic match, Turkey-Czech Republic, screened by ITV.

The BBC’s luck finally seemed to change for the memorable Turkey-Germany semi-final, but a great game was marred by a freak storm that cut international streams and left viewers listening to Radio 5Live for a period of time. ITV would, of course, have had the same difficulties but it seemed destiny that such a situation would occur while the Beeb were on-air.

The Final, while not such an entrancing encounter, nonetheless is the single most important game and thus the BBC would always enjoy the final word on the championships. Spain emerged a deserved winner and Fernando Torres’ sizzling strike was a fitting effort to ensure glory for Luis Aragones’ side.

The overall difference between the two broadcasters was marked. The BBC’s punditry for once fell below the expected standard in stark comparison to a hard-working ITV team.

Furthermore, the latter’s highlights programme was patently superior, despite its location in a London studio. The BBC broadcasted on location but a beautiful background did not make for a captivating round-up of the day’s events; the previously uplifting Adrian Chiles failing to garner to the same amount of enthusiasm for the Euros as he did for the preceding World Cup.

Perhaps the BBC only truly turn-up for the biggest events. Their Olympic coverage was widely praised and their efforts for World Cup 2006 were significantly better than what they managed at the Euros. A breath-taking opening sequence, brilliant analysers such as Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan, a wonderful set location and a certain zest that was sadly lacking last year contributed to a winning combination.

With the World Cup draw on Friday, negotiations between the networks will commence shortly. It seems unlikely ITV will give-up live rights to the Final again, especially bearing in mind the stature of the World Cup and its incredible reach to almost everyone in the world, but the toughest talks will centre around England matches. The BBC have previously triumphed, in 2006 covering three of the home nation’s five matches including the quarter-final loss to Portugal.

Whatever the negotiations yield, fans can once again expect a barmy summer of non-stop live football for an entire month. For the broadcasters, their keenly fought battle is about to recommence.