BBC viewers have expressed frustration over the dominance of sports coverage in news bulletins, with complaints about schedule disruptions. On Saturday's Newswatch, presenter Samira Ahmed addressed the backlash, noting that since the World Cup began, many viewers have complained about the impact on BBC content and the timing of news programmes.
Ahmed highlighted that alongside the World Cup, other major sporting events like Wimbledon and cricket tournaments have increased sports coverage. She read out viewer complaints, including one criticising the decision to show football during the 6pm news slot on the day Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned.
The BBC explained that the 6pm news had aired earlier that day with a shorter runtime, and the 10pm news was moved an hour earlier to accommodate football. Over the past fortnight, half of the evening weekday news programmes on BBC One have been rescheduled.
In a statement, the BBC said: 'Coverage of the World Cup continues to bring audiences together, transcending sport and becoming a shared national moment. We have made some targeted changes to our schedules to accommodate World Cup coverage, including some evening news bulletins. At the same time, we continue to provide comprehensive international and UK news coverage across the BBC News channel, BBC iPlayer, radio, the BBC News website and BBC News social channels.'
The complaints come as Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty provided an update on the England vs Mexico World Cup match, which remained at 1am UK time after FIFA reversed a plan to reschedule it due to thunderstorms.
