The BBC has axed Ski Sunday after nearly 50 years on air. The winter sports show, which has been on screens since 1978, will not return.
It was last broadcast in February ahead of the Winter Olympic Games and has been presented by Chemmy Alcott and Ed Leigh in recent years.
BBC explains decision
Explaining the decision, the BBC said: “Changing audience behaviours and the tough financial decisions needed to meet savings requirements. BBC Sport must continually review how it delivers value for licence fee payers and serves audiences across all platforms. This decision forms part of that process.”
Four-time Winter Olympian skier Alcott joined the presenting team on Ski Sunday in 2021 and was shocked by the decision. "As you can imagine this has devastated me," she wrote on Instagram. "Full response coming soon."
Programme described as 'truly iconic'
Philip Bernie, head of BBC Sport events, said Ski Sunday "has been a truly iconic programme".
He added: "Generations of viewers have enjoyed its coverage of the best in winter sports. We are enormously proud of the role it has played in bringing these moments to audiences across the UK, and extremely grateful to the brilliant people who have delivered them, not least the current outstanding team."
"These decisions are never easy, but as audience viewing habits evolve and we work to deliver value for licence fee payers, we have to make tough choices. We remain committed to bringing audiences the very best of winter sport, above all at the Winter Olympics, across BBC Sport's platforms."
Part of wider BBC cuts
Ski Sunday is the latest in a growing number of programmes to be axed by the BBC amid budget cuts. The broadcaster also announced on Tuesday that The Women's Football Show had been discontinued.
Football Focus was also axed earlier in 2026, ending 52 years on screens. The decisions have been taken as part of huge cuts across the corporation, with the new director general of the BBC, Matt Brittin, recently announcing plans to cut £80million from programming on TV, radio and news.
The BBC is expected to cut around 2,000 jobs in order to deliver £160m of £500m in savings by the 2028-29 financial year. "On the financial side, I knew that cuts had been announced and that savings had been announced, but I hadn't really understood the severity," Brittin said last week at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Ski Sunday began in the 1970s by only covering skiing, but later expanded to cover other winter sports like snowboarding. As well as Leigh and Alcott, it has been presented by former Team GB skier Graham Bell.
