Why is Arsenal vs Newcastle in Carabao Cup semi-final free on ITV tonight? TV schedule explained | OneFootball

UK football fans will be able to watch first leg for free

Arsenal will host Newcastle on Tuesday night in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

For all of the obvious progress Arsenal have made under Arteta’s watch, the relative slack of silverware surely needs to be addressed, even if there are bigger priorities on the agenda.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are on one of the longest trophy droughts in English football and reached the final of this competition back in 2023.

Eddie Howe would no doubt love to be the manager who finally delivers the Toon a first trophy since 1969.

Games between these two sides have becoming increasingly dramatic amid tensions on the pitch, largely sparked during the controversial win Newcastle claimed in the Premier League thanks to Anthony Gordon’s goal back in November 2023.

Luckily, fans in the UK will be able to watch the game live on free-to-air coverage.

Why is Arsenal vs Newcastle on ITV1 tonight?

While the game will also be shown as normal on Sky Sports, ITV 1 and STV have also the rights.

That’s because Sky Sports and ITV reached an agreement to give UK football fans the chance to watch select Carabao Cup and Championship games for the next two years.

In May, a statement from the EFL read: “The new deal starts in January 2025, commencing with the Carabao Cup semi-finals, running until the end of the 2026/27 season and means ITV will jointly broadcast a select number of games also available on Sky Sports. The new arrangement has also been approved by EFL Clubs in accordance with the League’s regulations. Each full season, ITV will screen at least nine Carabao Cup matches in total, including:

⦁ one tie from each of the first four rounds

⦁ one additional tie from either the third or fourth round

⦁ two quarter-final ties

⦁ one semi-final tie

⦁ the final

“Additionally, ITV will simulcast 10 matches from the EFL Championship each full season, and five matches in the second half of the 2024/25 season, with the option to flex their selection to matches from League One or League Two.

“The deal comes as EFL and Sky Sports kick-off their ground-breaking partnership at the start of the 2024/25 season, with over 1,000 matches every season broadcast live - four times as many matches as now and all 72 teams featured over 20 times a season. This huge number of games will be brought to sports fans via Sky Sports+ which comprises multiple live streams, a new dedicated channel and revamped Sky Sports mobile app, all at no extra cost for Sky Sports subscribers. EFL clubs will enjoy unprecedented exposure as a result, and the additional reach of ITV from 2025 ensures more of the action from the League will be available to broader audiences and millions of football fans.

“As part of ITV’s long-standing partnership with the EFL, it will also be extending its existing EFL highlights deal, beginning at the start of the forthcoming 2024/25 season, by broadcasting 55 highlights programmes per season. These matches and highlights will be shown across ITV1 and ITV4, with simultaneous streaming and on demand viewing available on ITVX.”

TV channel: The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Coverage starts at 7pm GMT.

The game will also be shown live on ITV1 and STV, with coverage starting at 7.30pm GMT.