19 hours Ago By Louis Sealey
Match of the Day is currently hosted by ex-England striker Gary Lineker (Picture: BBC)BBC chairman Samir Shah has outlined the change he wants to make to the broadcaster’s flagship sports show Match of the Day.Currently hosted by ex-England striker Gary Lineker, Match of the Day has a deal to show highlights of Premier League matches until the end of the 2028-29 season.The programme is broadcast on Saturday evenings – with sister show Match of the Day 2 shown on Sunday evenings – and routinely attracted 4m viewers during the 2024-25 campaign.
Match of the Day celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024 and Shah is keen for the programme to keep evolving in a changing landscape.As a sports fan, Shah is aware that many viewers have already seen Premier League goals long before Match of the Day is broadcast.As a result he believes the programme ‘should not be built around highlights’ and instead focus on match analysis from pundits.
‘It shouldn’t be built around highlights,’ he told the Sunday Times. ‘It should be built around analysis and examination of the match to give viewers a deeper insight.’BBC chairman Samir Shah (Picture: BBC)In his role as chair of the BBC’s board, Shah is charge of upholding and protecting the BBC’s independence and ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain.
The BBC confirmed in January that Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan would present the show from next season following Lineker’s exit.Lineker is stepping aside this season but will continue to pop up on the BBC, presenting the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup.Gabby Logan is one of three new Match of the Day presenters (Picture: Getty)‘For the first time, the role of lead presenter across the BBC’s iconic Premier League highlights programmes, Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, and the latest addition to the BBC’s football highlights portfolio, Match of the Day Champions League, will be shared by three presenters,’ a statement said.
‘The highly respected trio, who also work across other parts of BBC Sport, will be at the heart of BBC Sport’s stellar football team that includes Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Alex Scott, Jason Mohammad, Kelly Somers, John Murray and Steve Crossman.’Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport added: ‘I know viewers will love these three incredible broadcasters and journalists at the heart of our football coverage next season.‘They’re brilliant at what they do and Match of the Day viewers can be sure they will be well looked after as the big football talking points are expertly analysed.
‘Gary has done a phenomenal job at Match of the Day for the last 26 years, he’ll be missed greatly and we all still get to enjoy him on our screens across some of football’s greatest tournaments.‘Outside of Match of the Day we’ve got some great new shows, voices and surprises lined up for the 2025/26 season across audio, video and digital and we look forward to sharing them with you all later in the year.‘It’s a truly exciting time for BBC Sport’s football coverage.
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