BBC Sport axes Football Focus

BBC Sport is axing Football Focus after over 50 years of the show being on the air.

The programme first broadcast in 1974, giving football fans a selection of interviews, analysis and stories from across the game ahead of each weekend’s fixtures. 

However, the BBC has said that the show won’t return after this season, as, “changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent.” 

Its statement continues, “Fans are accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing and as viewing habits continue to evolve, it is right that BBC Sport adapts how it brings football coverage to the widest audiences across television, radio, online and to its extensive social platforms.”

BBC Sport is currently expanding its digital content, including a slate of YouTube exclusives with new formats and talent. More details on these will be provided in the future. 

Former England international Alex Scott is the current host of Football Focus, and she will continue to work with the BBC. She will be, “at the heart,” of the corporation’s football content, including working at the FIFA World Cup this summer, the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and BBC Sport’s ongoing coverage of the Women’s Super League. She will also once again serve as one of this year’s hosts of the BBC Sport Personality of the Year Awards, and a number of new projects with Scott will be announced in the coming months. 

BBC1 will continue to have football content on Saturdays, with The Football Interview, which currently airs late on Saturday nights on the channel to move to 12:45pm. It is also available on iPlayer, YouTube and the BBC Sport webite, and sees Kelly Somers interview football stars such as Bukayo Saka, Emma Hayes, Bernardo Silva, Hugo Ekitike and Michael Carrick. 

In addition, Final Score, hosted by Jason Mohammad, will move up to 3:45pm, covering each Saturday afternoon’s football fixtures as they happen. 

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.  

“Alex Scott is one of our finest presenters, is hugely popular across the men and women’s game and is a big part of our present and future. She will remain at the heart of our sports output across both the Men’s World Cup this year and the Women’s World Cup in 2027, as well as continuing her lead role on the Women’s Super League and BBC Sport Personality of the Year. We are also working on a very exciting new project with her – more to come on that soon.”