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FIFA will lean into an American tradition at this summer's World Cup final.
The big day at MetLife Stadium is set for Sunday, July 19 as the two victorious semi-finalists bid to be crowned champions of the world.
We are well used to organisers putting on a turn before kick-off in major football finals - but this year's World Cup final is set to feature a Super Bowl-style half-time show. Or, as FIFA hatefully insist, halftime show with no space or hyphen.
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ITV and BBC set to snub World Cup final half-time show
Chris Martin off of Coldplay has curated the event, because apparently FIFA would otherwise have been unaware that Madonna, Shakira and BTS are big names in the music world.
However, viewers in the UK currently look set to miss out on that little pop music concert - on mainstream TV, at least - with the BBC and ITV both reportedly having decided they aren't interested in showing it.
Both broadcasters are instead expected to throw to their teams of pundits as usual instead, given that it's, you know, the World Cup final and not Glastonbury.
It has been suggested that the show will be available on both broadcasters' 'digital platform' instead.
Concerns were raised earlier this month about how long the half-time show would actually take.
The Guardian wrote that rights holders were 'increasingly frustrated' at FIFA's inability or unwillingness to give a run-time.
The production is said to be slated to last between 12 and 15 minutes, but there is some scepticism about whether the required staging could be set up and removed from the pitch promptly enough for the interval to last the quarter of an hour stipulated in the Laws of the Game.
Some broadcasters are even concerned that half time could end up lasting for up to 25 or 30 minutes.
Commercial TV bods are irritated at the lack of clarity as if there is indeed set to be an extended interval, they would quite like to sell ad space in that time.
FIFA sources described the situation as 'fluid', which we are taking to mean it will all take place inside a giant fish tank.
