Richard Keys has claimed the BBC will soon axe Match of the Day, following the announcement that Football Focus will be cancelled after the current Premier League season. The former Sky Sports presenter, now with beIN Sports, argued that changing viewing habits are to blame, not host Alex Scott.
Keys posted on X: "It's not Alex Scott's fault Football Focus has folded - it's a sign of the times. MOTD will be next. Viewing habits have changed." He compared the situation to the end of Grandstand, World of Sport, and Sportsnight.
Scott, who hosted Football Focus since 2021, revealed she had already intended to leave the show in May. In an Instagram statement, she said: "I always knew this would be my last season on the show... My intention was to move quietly into the next chapter." She noted that social media, podcasts, and instant access to information have changed the industry, with TV audiences declining as digital and on-demand viewing grows.
The BBC announced the end of Football Focus, which first aired in 1974, on Thursday. The final episode will air on the weekend of May 23 to preview the last round of Premier League fixtures. Meanwhile, Match of the Day has been revamped this season with three hosts replacing Gary Lineker: Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates, and Gabby Logan.
