BBC canned Football Focus (Image: Getty)
The BBC has announced that ‘Football Focus’ will be discontinued at the end of the season. The flagship football program, which debuted in 1974, has kept fans across the country informed during the 3 p.m.
However, after 52 years on the air, the company has decided that Football Focus has come to an end due to ever-changing viewer behavior. Confirming the news, a statement said: “After extensive consideration, BBC Sport has decided to say goodbye to ‘Football Focus’ at the end of this season. ‘Football Focus’, which was first broadcast in 1974, is a testament to the amazing teams who have worked on the program over the years, and of course to the viewers.”
“The program has been a staple of BBC football coverage for decades, providing interviews, analysis and full match stories for fans ahead of weekend matches. However, changes in viewer behavior mean fans are now consuming football content in more different ways, forcing us to make difficult decisions about how license fees are spent, so we need to get right.”
“As viewing habits continue to evolve, with fans accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing, it’s right for BBC Sport to adapt the way it brings football coverage to the widest audience across TV, radio, online and across a wide range of social platforms.
“BBC Sport boasts a strong football rights portfolio and has significantly expanded its digital output this year, expanding content across BBC platforms as well as bold new plans for exclusive programming on YouTube. Featuring more frequent, always-on content tailored for digital viewers, this expansion will bring fans closer to the game than ever before, delivering higher quality, more accessible and engaging soccer coverage at scale.We will announce more details on these plans in the coming months.”
As a result of the decision, Alex Scott, who hosts the widely-watched show, will instead focus on being “at the heart of BBC Sport’s football coverage and sport’s biggest moments”. The pundit will play a key role not only at this summer’s World Cup, but also at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Women’s Super League, which will continue to be broadcast by the BBC.
The 41-year-old will also remain one of the hosts of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and, according to the Beeb, has “further new and exciting projects” coming soon. These are expected to be confirmed in the coming months.
Commenting on the move, Alex Kay Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “Football Focus is a hugely important program in the history of BBC Sport, playing a key role in telling the story of the game to generations of viewers. This decision comes ahead of last week’s wider BBC Savings announcement and reflects the continuing changes in the way viewers engage with football and our commitment to evolving the way we deliver content to fans wherever they are.
“Alex Scott is one of our best presenters, hugely popular across the men’s and women’s games, and is a huge part of our present and future. She will be at the heart of our sporting activities for both this year’s Men’s World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup. As well as continuing to star in Women’s Super League and BBC Sports Personality of the Year, we are also working on some very exciting new projects with her, with more to come soon.
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