Viewing figures for Match of the Day have reportedly plummeted since Gary Lineker was axed by the BBC at the end of last season. He was already due to step down from the flagship show but was initially expected to host live coverage of this season’s FA Cup and the World Cup. However, his exit was accelerated after he shared a video about Zionism on social media, for which he later apologised.
Lineker was replaced on the programme by Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman, with Wayne Rooney joining them as a new star pundit. However, the changes have failed to retain viewers with a huge number of people switching off, according to The Telegraph. The report claims the highlights show has lost ‘hundreds of thousands’ of regular watchers since Lineker’s exit.
It is claimed that up to three million people watched Match of the Day on a consistent basis last season. These figures have dropped significantly this campaign, with the show nearly dipping below two million viewers on one occasion.
Average ratings have plunged by more than 10 per cent so far this season compared to the same period a year ago. The numbers have reportedly fallen from 2.68m to 2.39m as viewers flood to the BBC’s new online highlights.
Videos are now being posted on the broadcaster’s website more than two hours before Match of the Day usually airs, leading to a decline in viewership.
The average audience had been falling even before Lineker stepped down as lead presenter. Last season, there was a loss of around 300,000 viewers after seven episodes when compared to the same point in the 2023/24 campaign.
So far this season, the show has attracted an average of 34.8 per cent of people watching television, versus 34.7 per cent in 2024/25 and 33.1 per cent in 2023/24.
Lineker first presented Match of the Day in 1999 and became synonymous with the programme during his lengthy spell as host.
Speaking to BBC News earlier this year, he said that he thought senior figures wanted him to leave so they could ‘bring in new people’.
“I always wanted one more contract, and I was umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether to do three years [more],” he explained.
“In the end, I think there was a feeling that, because it was a new rights period, it was a chance to change the programme. I think it was their preference that I didn’t do Match of the Day for one more year, so they could bring in new people.
“So it’s slightly unusual that I would do the FA Cup and the World Cup, but to be honest, it’s a scenario that suits me perfectly.”