The BBC's Football Focus aired for the final time on Sunday, bringing an end to its 52-year run on television. The programme was shelved due to shifts in audience behaviour towards digital platforms.
First launched as Football Preview within Grandstand in 1974, Football Focus became a standalone lunchtime show in 2001. It moved from London to MediaCityUK in Salford in 2011. Over the years, it was hosted by iconic names including Bob Wilson, Gary Lineker, Dan Walker, and most recently, Alex Scott.
Scott bid an emotional farewell on Sunday, as the show aired before the final day of the 2025/26 Premier League season. She said: 'For 52 years, this show has done one thing. Week in, week out, it has brought football into your Saturday afternoons... The thing that never changed was you - the fans. I won't pretend this isn't hard.'
The programme regularly attracted 1-2 million viewers in its heyday but had declined to an average of 500,000 in recent years. BBC Sport's new director Alex Kay-Jelski has prioritised digital content, including a partnership with YouTube launched in January.
While Football Focus has been axed, Saturday lunchtime football programming continues with The Football Interview hosted by Kelly Somers and Final Score.
