See commentator listings for today's matches.
How to Listen and Watch Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion: DAZN Italia and WBA Radio Commentary Guide
The Emirates FA Cup throws up another intriguing third‑round tie as Swansea City host West Bromwich Albion at the Swansea.com Stadium, with kick‑off at 14:30 UK time.[1] For British fans used to tuning in to the likes of the BBC, ITV, Sky Sports or TNT Sports for domestic cup action, this particular clash offers a slightly different mix of coverage, with an international TV option via DAZN Italia and detailed club‑focused audio coverage from WBA Radio.
While broadcasters such as ITV and the BBC traditionally share live FA Cup rights in the UK, not every third‑round tie is selected for live domestic television. That makes alternative options, such as international feeds and club radio commentary, especially valuable for supporters of both Swansea and West Brom keen to follow every kick of this cup encounter.
Match overview: Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup
This tie is part of the FA Cup third round, a stage where clubs from the Premier League and Championship enter the competition and where upsets and storylines regularly emerge.[1] Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion, both long‑standing members of the English professional game, have recent history against each other; they met in the Championship on New Year’s Day with Swansea edging a tight contest 1–0.[4][6]
The match takes place at the Swansea.com Stadium in Wales, with a scheduled kick‑off of 14:30 (UK time).[1][2][3] For supporters, the key questions are how to watch or listen live, and who will be guiding them through the action from the commentary box.
Where to watch: DAZN Italia TV coverage
Internationally, this fixture is being carried on DAZN Italia, part of DAZN’s network of sports streaming services. DAZN holds a variety of football rights across Europe and beyond, including domestic leagues and cup competitions, and is known for offering multiple live feeds and on‑demand replays to subscribers in its territories.
As this particular broadcast is tagged for the Italian market (with geo‑restriction indicated), access will normally be limited to viewers located in Italy or those whose subscriptions are registered for that region. DAZN’s FA Cup coverage typically includes full match presentation, with pre‑match build‑up, half‑time analysis and post‑match reaction, led by a studio team and commentators experienced in English football.
For British fans, it is worth understanding that rights to FA Cup matches can be fragmented. In the UK, live FA Cup television rights are split between the BBC and ITV, with some ties also made available via streaming platforms associated with these broadcasters. Where a match like Swansea v West Brom is not chosen for domestic live TV, international networks such as DAZN may still carry it in their own regions. That means UK‑based supporters might find comprehensive visual coverage more easily via official club channels, highlight packages, or later replays, while international viewers can enjoy the full DAZN presentation.
Club audio: WBA Radio’s dedicated coverage
For West Bromwich Albion supporters, WBA Radio provides a detailed, club‑centred way to follow the action. Club radio commentary typically offers:
- Live, minute‑by‑minute description of the match
- A focus on Albion’s tactical approach and individual performances
- Pre‑match build‑up with team news and context
- Post‑match reaction, including interviews and analysis
For this FA Cup tie, the main commentary pairing on WBA Radio is:
- Gez Mulholland – main commentator
- Andy Johnson – co‑commentator
This combination gives listeners both a clear description of the play and a tactical or experiential layer of analysis, especially valuable when following on audio‑only platforms.
Who is Gez Mulholland?
Gez Mulholland is a familiar voice to West Bromwich Albion fans, having worked extensively as a commentator and presenter on the club’s media channels. While detailed public biographical information on him is more limited than for national broadcasters, his role has encompassed live match commentary, interviewing players and staff, and hosting content around Albion’s league and cup campaigns.
For this FA Cup encounter, Mulholland serves as the primary play‑by‑play commentator. This role requires him to provide a constant narrative of the match: describing goals, chances, key tactical shifts and disciplinary incidents in real time. Over successive seasons, his work has helped shape the listening experience for Albion supporters who are unable to attend matches in person, especially in away fixtures or cup ties where TV coverage may be more restricted.
Club commentators like Mulholland often build up a rapport with the fanbase, combining professional calling of the game with a sense of shared identity and emotional investment in results. In a competition as dramatic and tradition‑laden as the FA Cup, that familiarity can heighten the sense of occasion for listeners.
Andy Johnson: former Baggies favourite turned co‑commentator
Andy Johnson, the co‑commentator for this match on WBA Radio, brings a wealth of on‑field experience, including a significant spell as a player with West Bromwich Albion. Johnson enjoyed a long career as a midfielder, representing clubs such as Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and West Brom in the English league system, and is remembered by Albion fans for his determined, industrious style in the centre of the park.
Ex‑players like Johnson are often selected as co‑commentators because they can offer:
- Insight into dressing‑room culture and preparation for big cup ties
- Detailed reading of tactical patterns, pressing schemes and in‑game adjustments
- Personal anecdotes about managers, team‑mates and previous FA Cup runs
- A grounded perspective on the psychological pressure on players
In the context of a third‑round FA Cup tie, Johnson’s experience of high‑stakes matches across the English pyramid adds colour and depth to the broadcast. He can comment on what it feels like to approach a knockout game after a busy festive schedule, how players manage fatigue, and why cup football can differ in rhythm and risk‑taking compared to the league.
For those interested in his wider playing career and achievements, more information is available via reputable football databases and historical records, such as encyclopaedic football resources and club archives: Andy Johnson profile.
Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion: cup and league context
Swansea City have a rich modern history that includes promotion to the Premier League and a League Cup triumph in 2013, which earned them a place in European competition. Their style has often been associated with possession‑based football, particularly during their Premier League years, and the club retains a strong identity in Welsh football. Further background on Swansea’s honours and history can be found in independent club profiles: Swansea City history.
West Bromwich Albion, one of the founding members of the Football League, have a deep FA Cup heritage, winning the competition on several occasions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The club has a long‑running tradition of cup runs and memorable ties, which makes any new FA Cup campaign a source of excitement for their support. Detailed historical context on West Brom’s honours and FA Cup record is available in standard football reference works and club histories: West Bromwich Albion history.
Recent form between the sides has been competitive. Albion and Swansea have already faced each other twice in the Championship this season, sharing a win apiece: West Brom winning 3–2 at The Hawthorns and Swansea responding with a 1–0 home victory on New Year’s Day.[4][6] That sets up this FA Cup meeting as a decider of sorts, with progression to the fourth round on the line.
The FA Cup broadcast landscape and British viewers
For British football fans, the FA Cup remains one of the most widely covered competitions on television and radio. The BBC and ITV hold the main domestic rights, selecting a number of ties per round for live broadcast on free‑to‑air TV along with comprehensive highlights programmes. Additional coverage appears on digital and streaming platforms associated with these broadcasters, and, in some seasons, subscription services such as TNT Sports have carried selected matches or rounds as part of broader rights agreements.
However, with a limited number of live TV slots per round, many fixtures – particularly all‑Championship ties like Swansea v West Brom – may not appear on the primary UK television schedule. In those cases, fans often rely on:
- Official club radio commentary (such as WBA Radio)
- Live text and data feeds from sports websites and apps[1][2][5]
- Short‑form video highlights released shortly after full time
Internationally, separate rights deals allow broadcasters like DAZN Italia to show matches live in their territories. This multi‑layered rights structure can sometimes lead to scenarios where a game is available on live TV abroad but not in the UK, even though the tie is taking place on British soil.
What to expect from the Swansea v West Brom broadcast
Viewers and listeners can anticipate a classic FA Cup third‑round occasion:
- Competitive balance: With both teams operating in the same division and having already traded wins in the league, the contest is finely balanced.[4][6]
- Knockout jeopardy: Whoever navigates this tie successfully moves one step closer to potential glamour clashes against Premier League opposition later in the competition.
- Detailed commentary: WBA Radio’s pairing of Gez Mulholland and Andy Johnson will ensure that Albion fans, in particular, get a rich, club‑focused perspective on tactical choices, substitutions and key individual battles.
- International TV presentation: DAZN Italia’s coverage should offer a polished TV product for viewers in its region, complete with replays, graphics and studio analysis consistent with modern football broadcasting standards.
For British supporters used to flicking between BBC, ITV, Sky or TNT Sports on FA Cup weekends, this match illustrates how the modern rights landscape can spread coverage across different platforms and territories. Between DAZN Italia’s television feed and WBA Radio’s in‑depth audio commentary, fans of both Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion still have multiple ways to stay close to the action as the FA Cup drama unfolds.
p