The BBC is axing Football Focus after more than 50 years on air and is blaming both “difficult decisions” on how it spends the licence fee – which brings in around £3.8 billion per year – and “changing audience behaviours” for its decision.
First broadcast in 1974, the show airs live throughout the football season and brings fans a mix of interviews, analysis and stories from across the world of football.
However the BBC says “changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways and it is appropriate to respond to this as difficult decisions are made around how the licence fee is spent.”
BBC Sport is pledging to “significantly expand” its digital output this year and says it will unveil details of “fresh formats” and “always-on content tailored for digital audiences” later this year.
It’s also highlighted that Football Focus host Alex Scott will continue to play a major role in its coverage including this year’s FIFA World Cup, the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Women’s Super League.
The BBC recently announced it would belatedly catch up with rivals ITV and Channel 4 in making new and original content, including sports related content, available on YouTube.
The broadcaster had previously restricted all new content to its own platforms, a strategy which has likely contributed to the consistent decline in the number of households willing to pay the £180 annual Licence Fee.
Last week it announced plans to cut around 2,000 jobs – 10% of its workforce – in the latest attempt to rein in spending.
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “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.
“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.”