Football Focus, once a mainstay of football fans’ matchday, is being scrapped by the BBC at the end of this season after 52 years on air.
The Saturday lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1974, has been a staple of the BBC’s coverage for decades, but the broadcaster says that the shift of viewers to other media platforms means the appetite for the show has waned.
The BBC said in a release on Thursday: “Changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent.
“Fans are accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing and as viewing habits continue to evolve, it is right that BBC Sport adapts how it brings football coverage to the widest audiences across television, radio, online and to its extensive social platforms.”
BBC head of sport Alex Kay-Jelski said the decision was made before last week’s announcement that the broadcaster needed to make £500 million worth of savings over the next two years.
“Football Focus has been a hugely important programme in the history of BBC Sport and has played a key role in telling the stories of the game for generations of viewers,” Kay-Jelski said.
“This decision was made before last week’s wider BBC savings announcement, reflecting the continued shift in how audiences engage with football and our commitment to evolving how we deliver content to reach fans wherever they are.”
Kay-Jelski added that the regular Football Focus presenter, Alex Scott, would “remain at the heart” of the BBC’s sport output, including its coverage of next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. – Guardian
