Where to Listen and Who’s Commentating: Manchester City v Brentford (English League Cup, 17 December 2025)

Manchester City v Brentford in the English League Cup (Carabao Cup) on 17 December 2025 will be covered across British radio and national TV feeds — most notably by the BBC’s audio platforms in the UK and Sky Sports’ television coverage and punditry on the world feed and domestic broadcasts. The BBC’s radio output (BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London on DAB) and online audio (BBC Sounds and BBC Sport audio) will be front and centre for listeners in the UK, while Sky Sports provides the main UK television picture and the world feed for international partners; Paramount+ will carry the US coverage with its own presenting team.

BBC Radio 5 Live / BBC Sounds / BBC Sport Online (Audio) — Presenter: Steve Crossman; Main commentator: Ian Dennis; Co-commentator: Leon Osman.
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC’s national live sports radio outlet and is the natural home for major domestic cup fixtures on radio; its programmes are also available via the BBC Sounds app and the BBC Sport audio stream for listeners who prefer online access, making the same presenting and commentary team (Crossman, Dennis and Osman) available across multiple BBC audio platforms.

BBC Radio London (DAB) — Main commentator: Adam Cottier.
Local BBC radio (BBC Radio London on DAB) will carry its own commentary for London listeners, with Adam Cottier on the mic.

Sky Sports (Main Event HD / Main Event UHD) — Presenter: Mark Chapman; Main commentator: Bill Leslie; Co-commentator: Andy Hinchcliffe; Pundits: Jamie Redknapp and Shay Given; Reporter: Juliette Ferrington.
Sky Sports holds broad domestic rights for Premier League and many domestic-cup match broadcasts and typically supplies both the live UK television coverage and the world feed that some international partners use; their high-definition and ultra-high-definition channels will feature the same presentation team and studio pundits for this fixture.

Sky Sports News / HD — Pundit: Andy Hinchcliffe; Reporters: Juliette Ferrington and Vinny O'Connor.
Sky Sports News will provide build-up, interviews and post-match analysis with its studio team and reporters on the ground.

Paramount+ (US) — Presenter: Poppy Miller; Pundit: Nigel Reo-Coker.
Paramount+ carries selected international football fixtures into the US market with its on-platform presenters and analysts; for this game their coverage will use Poppy Miller as presenter with former midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker offering punditry.

talkSPORT (Radio and App) — Presenter: Adrian Durham.
talkSPORT will provide its own live audio coverage on national AM/FM networks and via the talkSPORT app, led by presenter Adrian Durham.

Quick guide — where to listen or watch

• In the UK (audio): BBC Radio 5 Live (also on BBC Sounds and BBC Sport audio) for national radio commentary with Steve Crossman, Ian Dennis and Leon Osman; BBC Radio London (DAB) for the local feed with Adam Cottier; talkSPORT for an alternative national radio commentary led by Adrian Durham.
• In the UK (TV): Sky Sports Main Event (HD/UHD) for live televised coverage and pre/post-match punditry with Mark Chapman, Bill Leslie, Andy Hinchcliffe, Jamie Redknapp and Shay Given.
• Internationally (US): Paramount+ will carry US coverage with Poppy Miller and Nigel Reo-Coker.

Who the presenters, commentators and pundits are — brief background

Steve Crossman is an experienced BBC sports presenter and journalist who has fronted major football and athletics coverage on Radio 5 Live and BBC television for many years; Crossman frequently presents big-match radio output and major-tournament programming for the BBC. (BBC Radio 5 Live’s role as the BBC’s national sports radio channel makes him a familiar voice for domestic cup fixtures.)

Ian Dennis is a long-standing football commentator for the BBC who has covered Premier League and international matches across BBC radio and TV platforms; he is regularly heard on Radio 5 Live and at major domestic cup ties.

Leon Osman is a former Premier League midfielder who spent the majority of his playing career at Everton and has moved into media work as a co-commentator and pundit, bringing recent playing experience and tactical insight to radio and TV commentary roles.

Adam Cottier is a BBC radio commentator and presenter who works across local and national audio output, often handling match commentary for BBC regional stations and DAB services.

Mark Chapman is a television presenter who appears across Sky Sports and other broadcasters, hosting live football coverage and studio shows; he is a familiar face on Sky’s live match coverage and analysis programmes.

Bill Leslie is a match commentator and play-by-play commentator for Sky Sports’ football coverage; he leads the commentary team on many televised fixtures.

Andy Hinchcliffe is a former Premier League defender who has built a media career as a pundit and co-commentator, regularly appearing on Sky Sports and offering defensive and tactical analysis.

Jamie Redknapp is a former England international and club midfielder (notably Liverpool) who is a regular television pundit and studio analyst for Sky Sports, known for tactical breakdowns and experience at the highest level.

Shay Given is a former Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper with a long Premier League career; he now works as a pundit and studio analyst, frequently giving goalkeeping-specific insight.

Juliette Ferrington is a Sky Sports reporter who covers pre-match build-up, pitchside interviews and post-match reaction for live broadcasts.

Poppy Miller is a US-based presenter used by Paramount+ for its football coverage; she fronts live match coverage for the service in the American market.

Nigel Reo-Coker is a former Premier League midfielder who has transitioned into punditry and analysis work, including US and UK broadcasts, offering midfield and tactical expertise.

Adrian Durham is a long-time talkSPORT presenter and commentator, known for a combative style on national radio and hosting live-match and phone-in coverage.

Practical listening tips

• BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will carry the national radio commentary across FM/DAB and online respectively; BBC Sounds also allows catch-up and live streaming on mobile devices.
• If you prefer the local flavour and a London-focused feed, BBC Radio London on DAB (Adam Cottier) will be the option to choose.
• Sky Sports’ Main Event HD/UHD channels provide the full televised experience in the UK with studio analysis and pitchside reporting; Sky customers should use their Sky TV guide or Sky Glass/Stream apps to tune in.
• Paramount+ subscribers in the US should open the Paramount+ app for their dedicated coverage with Poppy Miller and Nigel Reo-Coker.

Related links and further reading

• Background on the English League Cup / Carabao Cup and competition format: "https:\/\/www.efl.com\/competitions\/carabao-cup\/"
• Manchester City club information and fixtures: "https:\/\/www.mancity.com"
• Brentford FC club information and fixtures: "https:\/\/www.brentfordfc.com"

This guide summarises the live audio and TV coverage teams for the Manchester City v Brentford League Cup tie on 17 December 2025 so you can pick the feed that suits you — whether that is the BBC’s national radio broadcast, Sky Sports’ televised coverage, Paramount+ in the US or talkSPORT’s alternative commentary stream.