Posted on 16th December 2025
FA Cup: The magic of TV and high prices
Here at the FSA we love the FA Cup and the 3rd Round draw is one of the highlights of the domestic football calendar – but games being moved for TV and higher ticket prices are in real danger of spoiling that magic.
The draw was made last Monday but there was then a long delay in confirming which games would be broadcast. Not good for matchgoers. The reason it seems to have taken so long is that 22 games have been moved for TV, leaving only ten to kick-off at Saturday 3pm.
The FA Cup “weekend” will take place across four days and there are some tricky journeys there for away fans – the pick of the bunch probably being Brighton’s trip to Old Trafford at 4.30pm on Sunday 11th January.
As there’s no £30 cap for FA Cup games Manchester United can, quite disgracefully, get away with charging £55 for a game which will cost away fans £30 in the Premier League. We believe the FA should introduce a £30 away cap into their prestige competition.
Football finance expert and Brighton supporter Kieran Maguire:
At £55 for a ticket in the away end at Old Trafford for Manchester United v Brighton for a match now rescheduled to 16:30 on Sunday.
Add on £179 for a ‘cheap’ rail ticket that gets back to Brighton at 02:40 in the morning* call me controversial but I don’t think Brighton will… https://t.co/skupJCHsJo
— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) December 15, 2025
Only two of the 22 broadcast games will be free-to-air, so there’s no doubt that matchgoing supporters are paying the price to ensure the FA pulls in a bigger media deal for the FA Cup.
FSA chair Tom Greatrex says: “Awkward kick-off times, expensive away tickets and a sense that TV comes first with matchgoing fans an afterthought – these short-term, financially driven decisions are in danger of undermining the FA’s long-term goal of celebrating and protecting football’s oldest competition.”
Unlike the Premier League’s media deal which is distributed to clubs who can spend as they wish, much of the FA Cup money is reinvested in the grassroots game and that deserves recognition.
We all want to see a well-funded grassroots game but matchgoing supporters feel that the balance has tilted too far towards TV with this broadcast deal.
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