Clive Tyldesley has revealed he could soon be commentating his final game on UK television and promised that it would not be a ‘dull’ affair.
Tyldesley, 69, has worked for in broadcasting for the last 32 years and, recently, has been a regular commentator on Amazon Prime’s coverage of the Premier League.
But with the streaming giants soon losing the rights to broadcast top-flight English games, Tyldesley seems set for a swansong fixture next month.
Speaking on the Anfield Wrap podcast, he said: ‘What actually could be the final game I ever commentate for UK television is Brighton-Brentford. That won’t be dull.
‘That’s on 27 December. Amazon Prime, this is their final year, so thePremier Leaguegoing forward is going back to a two-man cartel of Sky and TNT.’
Amazon Prime did not enter the running for the broadcast rights from 2025-26 onwards in a bidding process won by Sky Sports and TNT.
Tyldesley completed his final game at the tournament after being axed by ITV after nearly 30 years at the company
Tyldesley, pictured at White Hart Lane in 1999, has been employed by ITV for the past 28 years
Fans in the UK will not be able to hear Tyldesley’s voice on their screens in the new year but the 69-year-old will still be plying his trade elsewhere.
In July, he revealed that he had signed a four-year contract to commentate on the Champions League with American broadcaster CBS.
‘All I can do is keeping reviewing my own standards, keep making myself available,’ Tyldesley said.
‘If someone like CBS – who have given me a four-year contract to cover Champions Leaguefor the USA – show that sort of confidence in me then I can only assure you I will repay that faith by working bloody hard and trying to be as good as I can be.’
Tyldesley had worked for ITV for 28 years before being axedin the summer, having already been replaced by Sam Matterface as their lead commentator in 2020.
His relationship with ITV dates all the way back to 1986 when he was briefly employed as a standby commentator for the World Cup that was held in Mexico.
He later moved to the BBC before returning to ITV in 1996. Since then, the Radcliffe-born reporter’s voice has been heard at seven men’s World Cups and seven European Championships.
However, the game between Germany and Denmark in the round of 16 at Euro 2024was his final assignment for ITV.
Tyldesley will still commentate on the Champions League with American broadcaster CBS
Back in June, Tyldesley said in an exclusive interview with Mail Sport that ITV’s decision to relieve him of his duties had left him ‘upset, annoyed and baffled’.
He said he felt that he has been operating ‘as well as I ever have’ recently, but refused to hit out at his employers.
‘I’ve known for five to six weeks,’ he explained. ‘The ITV football editor phoned me to tell me I would be going home after the last 16.
‘I asked if there would be any other opportunities and he said that ITV would not be offering me another contract and so that will be it after 28 years.’