BBC Sport has announced that Football Focus will be axed at the end of this season, bringing the curtain down on a programme that has been a Saturday lunchtime institution since 1974.
The show’s decline has been driven by shifting viewing habits, with audiences increasingly turning to digital and on-demand platforms for pre-match content. Linear TV figures have been falling steadily since 2018.
BBC Sport director Alex Kay Jelski stressed the decision was made independently of the BBC’s wider cost cutting announcement, reflecting how football fans now consume content. The corporation says it will expand its digital output, including exclusive shows on YouTube.
From next season, Kelly Somers’ The Football Interview will fill the Saturday 12:45pm slot on BBC One, with Final Score moving earlier to 15:45pm.
Football Focus launched as part of Grandstand, with Bob Wilson becoming its most iconic host over 20 years. Later presenters included Gary Lineker, Dan Walker and most recently Alex Scott, who has fronted the show for five years. Scott will remain a central figure at the BBC, covering this summer’s men’s World Cup and the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Scott described her time on the programme as an “honour.”
