Viewer numbers for Match of the Day have reportedly fallen sharply since manager Gary Lineker was sacked by the BBC at the end of last season. Although he was already set to step down from the flagship show, he was originally scheduled to host live coverage of this season’s FA Cup and World Cup. But his resignation was precipitated after he shared a video about Zionism on social media, and he later apologized.
Lineker will be replaced on the show by Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman, with Wayne Rooney joining as the new star pundit. However, according to the Telegraph, the changes failed to retain viewers and a huge number of people stopped watching. The report claims that the highlights show has lost “hundreds of thousands” of regular viewers since Mr Lineker’s departure.
It is said that up to 3 million people watched Match of the Day continuously last season. The campaign significantly reduced these numbers, at one point dropping the show’s viewership to almost 2 million viewers.
So far this season, average ratings are down more than 10 percent compared to the same period last year. That number reportedly fell from 2.68 million to 2.39 million as viewers flocked to the BBC’s new online highlights.
Videos are typically posted on broadcaster websites more than two hours before the Game of the Day broadcast, leading to a decline in viewership.
Even before Lineker stepped down as lead presenter, average audience numbers had been declining. Last season, compared to the same point in the 2023/24 season, the number of viewers decreased by about 300,000 at the end of the seventh episode.
So far this season, the show has attracted an average of 34.8 per cent of TV viewers, compared to 34.7 per cent in 2024/25 and 33.1 per cent in 2023/24.
Lineker first introduced Match of the Day in 1999 and became synonymous with the show during his long tenure as host.
He told BBC News in an interview earlier this year that he believed senior government officials wanted him to resign so they could “bring in new people”.
“I always wanted another contract, and I was ummmmmmmmming about whether or not to sign for three (more) years,” he explained.
“Ultimately, I think there was a feeling that it was a chance to change the program because it was a new rights period. I think the reason I didn’t do Match of the Day for another year was so they could bring in new talent.”
“So it’s a bit unusual for me to play in the FA Cup and the World Cup, but to be honest it’s a scenario that suits me perfectly.”
