The BBC has announced changes to this year's Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY), including the addition of a footballer of the year award for both men and women. The presenting line-up will remain the same, with Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott hosting the programme on 13 December.
New awards and public vote
The new footballer awards, along with the main SPOTY accolade, will be decided by public vote. The introduction of the football award comes weeks after England captain Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or. The Bayern Munich striker is already odds-on to win the BBC SPOTY award.
No male footballer has claimed SPOTY since Ryan Giggs triumphed in 2009, despite England reaching two semi-finals and two finals over the past eight years. Kane's year with Bayern Munich and his national side could see him join an illustrious list of SPOTY winners including Giggs, David Beckham and Michael Owen.
Historical context and women's category
Since the accolade was established in the 1950s, footballers have claimed it seven times, a tally surpassed by Formula 1 with eight and far exceeded by athletics with 19. In the women's category, SPOTY will co-present the BBC World Service Women's Footballer of the Year award, which has been running since 2015 and is determined by public vote.
Lionesses claimed the honours in 2022 and 2023, with Beth Mead leading the way, followed by Mary Earps. Kane's primary challenger for SPOTY is Amy Hunt, the British sprinting sensation, who sits as second favourite with bookmakers following her haul of four gold medals at the European Championships. Outside bets include Scotland's Josh Kerr, the middle-distance star who claimed Commonwealth gold, along with Kane's England teammate Jude Bellingham.
Broadcast changes
Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC Sport director, said: "This year's shortlists will be packed with athletes and teams who have achieved extraordinary things, but what's especially exciting is that audiences will have a bigger say than ever before in who takes home the trophies."
The ceremony will take place at the BBC's Salford headquarters, with the broadcast trimmed to an hour and a half rather than the customary two hours, beginning earlier at 5.45pm ahead of its traditional 7pm slot. The changes come amid cuts to BBC Sport, which has seen it axe long-running shows including Ski Sunday and Football Focus, as well as dropping coverage of the Commonwealth Games and the Boat Race.
