Has ITV been the downfall of the England team?

ITV has exclusive coverage of England’s last-16 tie with Colombia tomorrow night and will no doubt be gratefully counting the advertising pounds as a result.

However, whilst there are many reasons given for England’s lack of World Cup success in recent years, is ITV scheduling in fact partly to blame?

According to stats in the Times today, out of 11 World Cup England games broadcast exclusively on ITV since 1998, just one has seen England victorious – twelve years ago, England won 2-0 against the mighty Trinidad & Tobago.

Of the other 11 matches exclusively on ITV over the last two decades, England has drawn five times (two of those went to pens, which England lost) and lost five times, for a win percentage of less than 10%.

The BBC has also shown 11 exclusive World Cup England games over the same period: England won eight, lost one and drew two. That’s a win percentage of 72.72%.

Thus far this year the trend has continued, with England losing to Belgium on ITV whilst winning matches against Tunisia and Panama on BBC – though admittedly, Belgium is considered a much harder team to beat.

England fans (and the Mediatel Newsline team) will have their fingers crossed that this apparent curse of ITV lifts by the end of 90 minutes / 120 mins / penalties (maybe not!) tomorrow.