The BBC has announced that Football Focus will be taken off air this summer, ending a 52-year run as the traditional precursor to the weekend's football. The national broadcaster said it had given “extensive consideration” to scrapping the Saturday lunchtime programme, acknowledging the changing ways in which fans consume sport in the age of clips and livestreams.
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, denied that the decision was driven by cost-cutting, noting that it was made before the corporation's wider savings announcement. He said the move reflected “the continued shift in how audiences engage with football” and the BBC's commitment to reaching fans wherever they are. The programme's demise will be offset by an increase in digital content, including new sports shows made directly for YouTube.
Football Focus has been presented by Alex Scott since its current format evolved, offering a blend of interviews and features with an emphasis on the weekend's fixtures. The show was first hosted by Bob Wilson in 1974, when its mix of on-camera interviews and behind-the-scenes footage was rare. Such content is now widely available online through broadcasters and clubs' own channels.
Scott said in an Instagram video that it was “the right time” for the show to end, but she admitted the buildup had been difficult due to anticipated social media backlash. “I am human, just like you,” she said, adding that she hoped the moment would be about celebrating the iconic show rather than anything else. Kay-Jelski confirmed Scott would remain a “big part” of BBC Sport's coverage, with roles at the World Cup and Sports Personality of the Year Awards, as well as a “very exciting new project” linked to the YouTube offering.
Replacing Football Focus in the schedules will be The Football Interview, presented by Kelly Somers, while Final Score with Jason Mohammad will start earlier on Saturday afternoons. Bob Wilson criticised the decision, telling the Times he was “really disappointed” and describing the planned replacement as “crazy”.
