MATCH OF THE DAY viewing figures have reportedly plummeted since Gary Lineker’s exit.
The legendary presenter quit the BBC at the end of last season after an anti-Semitism row.
That pulled the curtain down on 26 years in the studio hotseat of the iconic Premier League highlights show.
The early exit also saw the former Leicester and England striker forego his chance to present FA Cup matches this season or the 2026 World Cup.
And the impact of Lineker’s departure has been felt by Beeb bosses.
According to The Telegraph, hundreds of thousands of football fans have stopped watching Match of the Day this season.
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The numbers show a ten per cent drop from 2.68million to 2.39m for the same period this campaign compared to 2024-25.
For one episode this term, the viewership nearly dropped below 2m.
Admittedly, the share of the overall viewing audience has increased marginally to 34.8 per cent.
Also, there was a drop across the same seven-episode period from 2.92m in 2023 to the 2.68m figure 12 months ago.
This season, though, the BBC introduced Match of the Day-length highlights packages for each of the Prem matches which are available to watch online two hours before the TV show begins.
The Telegraph adds that those clips have an average 1.7m viewers per week.
Lineker – who was the Beeb’s highest-paid star on £1.35m per year – was replaced by Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman.
The trio are sharing the role across Saturday and Sunday nights.
Sunday’s show was previously called MOTD2 but has now come under the same name as the “main” Saturday programme.
However, it has also suffered a nine per cent drop in ratings with 1.64m viewers this year – down from 1.77m in 2024.
Wayne Rooney was also brought in as an A-list pundit.
The ex-Manchester United and England captain signed a bumper contract to provide his expert analysis throughout the Premier League season and at the World Cup next summer.
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