BBC's Football Focus Canceled After 52 Years

BBC Sport has announced the end of Football Focus, the Saturday lunchtime football program that launched in 1974 as part of Grandstand. The show will run until the end of the season. Declining linear TV viewership since 2018 and shifting audience habits toward digital and on-demand content drove the decision, which was made before the BBC's wider savings announcement. Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, called the program hugely important but noted the need to evolve content delivery. From next season, Kelly Somers' The Football Interview moves to Saturday 12:45 BST on BBC One, and Final Score with Jason Mohammad starts earlier at 15:45 BST. BBC Sport will expand digital output, including exclusive YouTube shows. Football Focus was originally presented by Sam Leitch as Football Preview, then renamed with Bob Wilson as iconic host for 20 years. Subsequent presenters included Steve Rider, Gary Lineker, Ray Stubbs, Manish Bhasin, and Dan Walker. The final host is Alex Scott, who has presented for five years and will continue with the BBC, including roles at the men's 2026 World Cup and women's 2027 World Cup, Women's Super League, and Sports Personality of the Year. Scott called her tenure an honor and thanked the team on Instagram.