Richard Keys has claimed that the BBC will soon axe Match of the Day following the cancellation of Football Focus, and has defended presenter Alex Scott. The BBC announced on Thursday that Football Focus, which first aired in 1974, will end next month after the conclusion of the current Premier League season.
Keys blames changing viewing habits
Scott has hosted the show since 2021, taking over from long-time host Dan Walker. However, Keys does not believe her presence is the reason for the show's cancellation. The former Sky Sports presenter, now working for beIN Sports in Qatar, argues that 'viewing habits have changed' and that Match of the Day 'will be next'.
"It's not Alex Scott's fault Football Focus has folded - it's a sign of the times," Keys posted on X. "MOTD will be next. Viewing habits have changed. That's why Grandstand and World of Sport ended. And Sportsnight. Pre-show and post-show wrapped around live games will go soon as well."
Match of the Day's new look
Match of the Day was given a new format this season, with three new hosts sharing presenting duties left vacant by Gary Lineker. Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates, and Gabby Logan are now the co-hosts for the BBC's flagship football programme.
Scott also revealed on Thursday that she intended to leave Football Focus in May and had already informed the BBC. "I always knew this would be my last season on the show, which the BBC were aware of too," she wrote on Instagram. "My intention was to move quietly into the next chapter, but sometimes things change."
She added: "When this show began all those years ago, social media wasn't a driving force, podcasts didn't exist, and there was no instant access to information in the way there is today. Now by the time we go on air the reality is you've already seen it, debated it and lived it across so many platforms. That shift has changed the whole industry."
"TV audiences have been declining for years, while digital and on-demand viewing continues to grow. To have been part of it has been incredibly special, and I'm so grateful and proud of the eight years I've been involved, including the five years I've had the honour of presenting it."
The final Football Focus is due to air over the weekend of Saturday, May 23, to preview the final round of this season's Premier League fixtures.
