Premier League side Arsenal were the two-time defending champions after they beat Aston Villa 4–0 in the previous final on 30 May 2015,[3] but were eliminated by Watford in the sixth round.
The winners were Manchester United, who defeated Crystal Palace 2–1 in the final after extra time.
The second round draw took place on 9 November at Civil Service, based in Chiswick, London, and was broadcast live on BBC Two.
[19] The lowest-ranked team in this round was Eastleigh from the National League (tier 5), the only non-league side remaining in the competition.
The lowest ranked club remaining in this round was Reading, who competed in the League Championship (tier 2).
[2] The domestic broadcasting rights for the competition were held by the BBC and subscription channel BT Sport.
The FA Cup Final was required to be broadcast live on UK terrestrial television under the Ofcom code of protected sporting events.