BBC Football Focus will be axed at the end of the season, with the broadcaster confirming the news on Thursda, and Richard Keys has predicted Match of the Day will follow
Richard Keys has claimed that the BBC will soon cancel Match of the Day after axing Football Focus – and has leapt to the defence of presenter Alex Scott. The broadcaster revealed on Thursday that Football Focus, which first aired in 1974, will end next month following the end of the current Premier League campaign.
Scott has presented the programme since 2021 after long-serving host Dan Walker’s exit. But Keys doesn’t think that her involvement is the reason behind the show’s cancellation.
The former Sky Sports host, who now works for beIN Sports in Qatar, maintains that ‘viewing habits have changed’ – and that’s why Match of the Day ‘will be next’, reports the Mirror.
“It’s not Alex Scott’s fault Football Focus has folded – it’s a sign of the times,” Keys posted on X.
“MOTD will be next. Viewing habits have changed. That’s why Grandstand & World of Sport ended. And Sportsnight. Pre-show & post-show wrapped around live games will go soon as well.”
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Match of the Day had a fresh format this season, with three new presenters sharing the hosting responsibilities vacated by Gary Lineker.
Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan are now the joint hosts for the BBC’s premier football show. Scott also explained on Thursday that she planned to leave Football Focus in May – and had already notified the BBC.
“I always knew this would be my last season on the show, which the BBC were aware of too,” Scott posted on Instagram. “My intention was to move quietly into the next chapter, but sometimes things change.
“When this show began all those years ago, social media wasn’t a driving force, podcasts didn’t exist, and there was no instant access to information in the way there is today. Now by the time we go on air the reality is you’ve already seen it, debated it and lived it across so many platforms. That shift has changed the whole industry.
“TV audiences have been declining for years, while digital and on-demand viewing continues to grow. To have been part of it has been incredibly special, and I’m so grateful and proud of the eight years I’ve been involved , including the five years I’ve had the honour of presenting it.
“It has been such an important part of my life, working with some of the very best people in the business, both on screen and behind the scenes.
“I’ve loved so much of it, the conversations, the laughter, and sharing so many big moments with you, the audience. Thank you for being part of it.”
The final Football Focus is scheduled to broadcast over the weekend of Saturday, May 23 to preview the concluding round of this season’s Premier League matches.